Just a (Small-Town) Boy - The Notting Hill AU
by J.W.Melmoth
Summary: The life of an Ohio shopkeeper changes forever when he (literally) runs into one of the most famous superstars in the world… [a new collaboration with Daftydraw from 'Glad You Came']
1. Between The Sheets

**[A collaboration fic with Daftydraw - co-author of Glad You Came / Glad You Stayed]**

* * *

Of course I had heard him sing on the radio, and had seen him on TV and always thought he was amazing, but like, a million miles away from where I lived - which is Lima, Ohio.

I grew up here, and went to school at Dalton Academy in Westerville before opening a music store - sheet music, that is; not records or cds, everyone buys those digital now. Sheet music for musicians. It's the right street for it, the neighbourhood a touch artsy, bohemian, host of the county famous vintage flea market twice a year and a much humbler weekday market every Tuesday. Mom-and-pop stores instead of pop-ups stores. The only franchise we have is, inevitably, Starbucks, because they're everywhere. But I like a good coffee just as much as anyone, so that's alright.

My parents had high hopes for my future after graduation, and I'm not sure a sheet music store on the verge of breaking even was in their plans. Luckily they support me - sometimes literally, when we don't meet the costs - and are only mildly insistent that I try to make something of myself.

I said we - that's me and Steph. We're not together! I'm definitely gay. Steph's my shop assistant, and the one with the actual degree to keep our administration running. All I contributed was start-up capital and a passion for music. Steph's amazing, and I often think she should be running the store instead. But for now, __Between The Sheets__ is owned and run by me, Sebastian Smythe. The store name is a bit of a wink to my dating life, if you will. It's where the magic happens - I'm not exactly a wine-and-dine kind of guy; not anymore. But people can change, given the right incentive.

* * *

I live above the store, in a small apartment for two that I initially bought with someone specific in mind to live there with me. That never happened, and now the second room is taken, bedazzled and glittered, by my somewhat eccentric flatmate Elliott. He has a fabulous taste in fashion and a disastrous taste in men. He's always either head over high heels for some straight guy, or dodging calls from his one-night-stands. Well, we have that last thing in common, I guess, though I rarely give out my phone number to avoid just that.

He designs and makes his own clothing but has a short attention span, so more often than not, all of the flat surfaces in our place have half-unwrapped bolts of cloth or pattern paper on them that will stay untouched for weeks. We have agreed that he either cleans up after himself or accepts the fact that I will use said surfaces for their intended use, (and occasionally some unintended use that requires condoms). It works, but it's not ideal. Sewing pins in your ass? Not fun.

* * *

****APRIL****

"Is this ever going to turn into the jacket you said you wanted to make?" Sebastian lifted the corner of a slippery, silver cloth hanging from the couch before settling down next to it with a bowl of cereal. Lucky Charms - Breakfast, lunch and dinner of champions in one. Or it used to be, before Elliott picked out all of the marshmallow bits.

"Mmm, sure, one day," Elliott mumbled through the pins between his teeth, focusing his attention on the border trim of a top hat in his hand. "Going out on a date tonight and needed a hat first."

Sebastian looked at his flatmate, his naked chest with tattoos swirling up and around his arms, and the leopard print underwear he was wearing. "You need a hat more than you need clothes? Sounds like a fun date, can I come?"

Elliott chuckled. "Not your kind of crowd, honey," he said. "It's a Starchild night." He finished the last touches on the hat and put it on, pushing it slightly askew and giving Sebastian a pose.

Sebastian blew him a kiss. He knew what Elliott meant, and he was right. If he was going all out with his sparkly alter-ego Starchild, it wasn't Sebastian's kind of gig. He finished his cereal and put the bowl down on the couch. "I'm gonna go to the store. If I don't see you later, have fun. Be safe."

"Always, darling," Elliott promised, and for once, made a show of picking up all of his pins before they could get lost on the floor.

* * *

"Oh my god! Are you Kurt Hummel?"

The excited, slightly breathy voice pulled Kurt's attention from the vintage scarf he had been examining. He turned around to look at the girl and almost jumped a little when he saw that she was wearing a t-shirt with his face on it.

Three number one albums, a Brit Award and four MTV Award Nominations, and Kurt was still a little shocked whenever someone stopped him in the street. Particularly here in Lima, Ohio, the place he had fought to get out of for so long. Walking down the familiar streets still gave him little bursts of anxiety. Years of being jeered at and being treated like an outcast had left some deep scars, and no amount of fame or fortune would ever completely heal them.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man on a motorbike point a long-lense camera at him and he sighed. That was something he'd never get used to either: paparazzi. Kurt decided to ignore him.

He nodded at the girl and smiled. He always made time for his fans. "I am indeed, how are you today?"

"Oh my god, I knew it! My friend said it wasn't you, but I __knew__ it was!" the girl let out, barely breathing in between sentences. "I love you so much, your music is just…amazing! Your song __Flight__ really spoke to me. You're living proof that people make it out of this godforsaken town."

Kurt felt his heart twinge.

"What's your name?" he asked kindly.

"Sasha," she replied in the same breathless tone.

Kurt could see she was shaking. "How old are you, Sasha?"

"I'm fifteen," Sasha replied. "I'm saving up for a trip to L.A. but my mom says I can't go until finish school and-"

"School is important," Kurt reminded her gently. "L.A. will still be there in a few years. Promise me you won't drop out?"

Sasha swallowed and nodded fervently. She would have probably promised him anything.

"Stay strong, Sasha," Kurt said, squeezing her arm. "If I can make it out of here, anyone can. Would you like a picture to prove your friend wrong?"

Sasha gasped and almost dropped her phone. "Oh my god, yes please…that would be amazing!"

Kurt smiled and took the phone. He wrapped his arm around the girl and angled the camera towards them, snapping a few pictures.

"Thank you so much!" Sasha squeaked, looking red-faced and starstruck.

"You're welcome, sweetie," Kurt said with a smile. "Have a great day!"

Sasha blushed and hurried off up the street, clutching her phone to her chest.

Kurt smiled after her for a second before he noticed that another bike had joined the first and both men now had cameras directed towards him. He wondered what awful spin they would try and put on it this time. __Secret underage mistress? Long-lost half-sister reunited?__ There was no limit to their sordid imagination.

Kurt spun around and headed away from them. He heard the roar of two engines kick into gear and sped up his walk, sliding between people in the hope that they'd help him disappear.

When he realised that wouldn't work, he darted to the left and slid through the open door of a store.

Sebastian looked up from his paperwork at the sound of footsteps. "That was fast, it usually takes longer to get a frap- You're not Steph."

Kurt cocked his head. "I am not," he said dryly.

Sebastian quickly glanced over the young man standing at the door.

"I can see that. Sorry, I thought you were my assistant. We don't get that many customers...uh- around this time of day, I mean," he added quickly, hoping to ease over his fumble with a winning smile. The guy was pretty hot. He seemed familiar somehow. Hopefully not in a __we-met-at-club-one-night-for-twenty-minutes__ kind of way, because it would be pretty damn unlucky if he'd have forgotten __that__.

"How can I help you?"

Kurt hesitated at the man's question, unsure of how to answer when he didn't even know what kind of store he'd walked in to.

"Err," he stammered as he glanced around. His eyes fell on the back wall of the store. A line of music was painted in black paint across the surface. As his eyes took in the rest of the shop, he noticed signs advising genres and instruments. __Sheet Music.__ He suppressed a laugh. Of all the places he could have stepped into, he had chosen a music store.

"I'm fine, thanks," he said, still amused. "Just browsing."

"Well, as you can see, it's all yours," Sebastian said, spreading his arms out to the deserted store. "Tell me if you see something you like."

He kept their eye contact just a little longer than necessary, hoping it was clear the invitation extended beyond what he was selling (__and no wonder my store is doing so badly,__ he thought to himself, __I really shouldn't be distracting my customers from my wares to offer, well, my__ wares). He snorted to himself.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at the obvious suggestion and bit the inside of his cheek. He casually let his eyes sweep over the man. He was attractive; a tall lean frame, sharp, playful green eyes and an attractive lilt to his mouth. "Oh, I will."

Pleased that his gaydar was on point, Sebastian just nodded and turned his head back to his paperwork, pretending to mind his own business. But the store's accounts were __boring__, and the man in his store was most definitely __not__ boring. Sebastian couldn't keep his eyes on the rows of numbers; they followed the man around the room as he traced the title cards of the sections with long, well-manicured fingers, stopping every now and then until he arrived at the Broadway section.

"It's mostly just Sondheim," Sebastian said apologetically, wincing at himself for not saying something more interesting. "I mean, I suppose if you like classic showtunes, he's fine, but we also have a great...contemporary...section?" he trailed off, because as he spoke, the man had turned around and looked at him curiously. His eyes sparkled - and Sebastian wasn't sure yet if that meant good things or not.

Kurt held the man's gaze for a second, toying with an idea in his head. He didn't want to seem arrogant - he never minded at all if people __didn't__ recognise him. He sang for the love of the music, not the celebrity status - though of course it did have its perks. With this man though, he was curious to know.

"Do you have anything by Kurt Hummel?"

"Um, I think so," Sebastian said, going through some orders in his head.

Steph was a big fan, so even if he had neglected to re-stock it after the last album won several awards, he knew she would have. He moved from behind the counter to walk over to the contemporary section, and quickly flipped through several folders.

"Here we are," he said, pulling two stacks out. "Though good luck trying to match __that__ range, I guess. It's pretty incredible. The closest I've heard anyone hit the high notes like that was my flatmate Elliott and let's just say he wasn't singing in the shower at that moment if you know what I mean."

Kurt grinned at the back-handed compliment. He did pride himself on his wide range of vocals.

Sebastian grinned back, pleased that the man had liked his insinuation, and glanced at the folder before handing the sheet music over. "Kurt Hummel. I think he's actually from around here, isn't he?"

"I am actually, born and bred. Left when I was seventeen to share my music with the world."

"No, I meant the sing-"

Sebastian did a double-take and closed his mouth. His eyes glanced over the man's face,darted to the album cover on the back of the folder - and back to his face. He could see why Out! Magazine had named him sexiest man of the year. Also, pictures __really__ didn't do him justice.

"Ah, well. Wow," Sebastian said, and immediately cringed internally. __Oh my god, Sebastian,__ he thought to himself. __You almost had him before and now you really fucked it up. Wow?__

"I definitely walked into that one," he admitted. "Do you still want it?" There was a small pause. "The sheet music, I mean."

Kurt grinned. "No, it's fine thank you…I have the original draft. Just making sure my music is out there for the next generation of cover artists." He winked. "I will sign it though, if you like? You can charge more for it. Lima needs places like this. It feels like the old-school stores are all closing down. "

"Uh, yeah, thanks," Sebastian said, looking around trying to remember where he'd last seen a pen lying around.

As he finally retrieved a pen from the counter, he saw that Kurt had already taken one from the inside pocket of his jacket. __His pretty amazing jacket,__ Sebastian added in his mind. He shrugged awkwardly and pushed the pen into his back pocket like he had been wanting to do that anyway.

"Yeah, there's not many places around that still sell sheet music, I guess. But hey, you write your own now, huh? So...you certainly don't need me - It! The store, I mean!"

__Get a grip,__ he admonished himself, __now is not the time to act like a school boy.__

He cleared his throat. "More...browsing?"

Kurt raised an eyebrow at the slip and handed the signed sheets back to Sebastian. He cast a furtive glance towards the window and saw that the motorbikes were gone. His shoulders relaxed in relief and he smiled at Sebastian. "No, I think I'm done. Thank you."

Sebastian put on a smile hoping to cover up his disappointment, and put the sheets back into the folder.

"Well, if you need anything else, you know where to find me. __Between the sheets.__" He winked at Kurt and congratulated himself on a good recovery. Maybe that line was the sole reason for the name of his store. It worked pretty often.

Kurt bit the inside of his cheek to hide a smirk and backed out of the store silently, almost bumping into a young woman carrying a Starbucks tray.

"Oh my god, I'm so sor-" she stammered, her eyes going wide as she looked at him.

"No problem, it was my fault," Kurt said holding the door for her. "Have a good day."

He closed the door behind her and walked off down the street.

"What was Kurt Hummel doing in our store?" Steph demanded of Sebastian as she walked towards the counter.

"Just browsing..." Sebastian said pensively, looking out onto the street in the direction Kurt had just left. Then he caught himself and straightened his back.

"You know, __checking everything out__," he added smugly.

Steph smirked and rolled her eyes. "Sure he was."

She shook her head and offered the tray of coffees to him and brandished a brown paper bag. "They'd run out of croissants so I got you a cinnamon swirl."

Sebastian sighed deeply. "It was Patrick at the counter, wasn't it? Ugh. I bet he stashed the croissants as he saw you coming. He __hates__ me." He rolled his eyes a little at himself. "Maybe I should have returned his calls."

He grabbed the cinnamon swirl and bit into it. "I'll get us a refill in a bit and set things straight with him."

"You never set anything __straight__, Seb. Now tell me about Kurt."

Sebastian took a long sip of his coffee, enjoying making her wait. Her punishment for implying Kurt hadn't been checking him out, because he totally__had__.

"Well, he came in, looked around a bit - we __checked each other out__-" Sebastian stressed, "and then he signed a few of his own songs and left."

Steph almost dropped her coffee. "Wait - Kurt Hummel, __the__ Kurt Hummel signed some of his own music? In __our__ store?"

"Yeah, over there." Sebastian pointed at the shelf. "Hey, see if he wrote me down his phone number, will you?"

Steph rolled her eyes and walked over to the contemporary section. She flicked through the 'H' box until she found Hummel and pulled out the sheets.

She smirked. "Nope, no phone numbers. Just a few inspirational quotes."

"Well, that's kinda pretentious," Sebastian muttered, squashing his disappointment. "Defacing our merchandise and then leaving without buying anything."

He quietly finished his coffee while Steph went on and on about how amazing a singer Kurt Hummel was. Sebastian tried to tune her out. Maybe he should go see Patrick and hit him up for tonight.

"Another frappuccino then?"


	2. You Want Ice With That?

Kurt sighed as he scrolled through Twitter on his phone. The pictures snapped by the motorcyclists were already splashed across Buzzfeed.

'Kurt Hummel spotted in hometown with mystery woman'

__Great,__ he thought. __Just what I need, I come home for a few days to get away and the leeches find me within a matter of hours. Where do they even come from? __

He glanced up from his phone and realised he had let the article distract him so much he was headed in the wrong direction from where he'd parked.

He spun around and collided with a solid form. Ice cold liquid hit his chest and seeped through his clothes. Kurt gasped. His first thought was that someone had thrown a slushie at him. It wouldn't be the first time that had happened in this town. Back in high school, it had been a daily occurrence for Kurt and his friends.

But this wasn't red die no. 2. As Kurt looked down on his chest, he saw the brown stain spreading on his light blue t-shirt and realised it was a Frappuccino.

"Watch where you're fucking going, princess," a man said angrily, staring down on the mess on the pavement. "This isn't a catwalk."

Kurt felt humiliation flush his system. Deep down he knew it was his fault. Still, the insult and the association with his school days was enough to make him see red.

"Bit rich you calling __me __princess when you're the one drinking a coffee-flavoured milkshake," he bit back, and shook a few little blobs of ice off his sleeve. "How about you try something with actual coffee in it? You know, like an adult."

"It has espresso in it, actually, and you owe me 9 bucks for it," the man said defensively, turning to dump the empty cups in a trash can and wiping his hands with some paper napkins from his order.

"Oh my god, are you for real?" Kurt sniped. "This is a Valentino shirt and you ruined it."

"So? You're the one who pirouetted like some duck-footed ballerina straight up into my face!"

Furiously, Kurt whipped off his sunglasses and looked up at his assailant, ready to give him a big piece of his mind- and with a start, recognised the man from the music store.

Sebastian's bright green eyes were stormy with anger, but then they widened in surprise as he, too, recognised him and realised he had frapucchinoed all over Kurt Hummel.

"Um, I'm sorry," Sebastian offered, his anger melting away instantly.

"No, it was my fault," Kurt admitted, feeling a blush creep up on his cheeks.

"Here, let me just- It'll be okay!" Sebastian started, using the crumpled napkins in his hand to wipe at Kurt's shirt.

"It's fine," Kurt said, batting Sebastian's hands away. "I overreacted. I've had worse thrown at me."

"Well, at least let me help you clean up," Sebastian offered. "Maybe if you wash it out now it won't stain-" He pointed at his place. "I live above the store."

Kurt sighed. He really did love the shirt he was wearing. Technically, he could afford to replace it ten times over, but his parents had always taught him to look after his things and be respectful. Those lessons didn't go away just because he had money now. Also...there was something about Sebastian that drew him in, and he felt bad for shouting at him. He let his shoulders slump.

"Fine. I guess I could soak it in cold water for a bit."

Sebastian offered him a lopsided smile and lead the way to his apartment. He pushed open the door with some difficulty - they kept their ironing board propped up against the wall just inside the hallway, and every now and then, if they slammed the door closed hard enough, it'd fall over and block the entry. It was a good burglar repellant, but also a pain in the ass.

"Sorry," Sebastian said again, stepping over it so he could clear the way for Kurt. "The place is a bit of a mess. My flatmate thinks he's the next Jean-Paul Gaultier but he rarely actually finishes a piece."

He wasn't exactly sure why he was explaining all this. He never had before. The people he brought home were there for one purpose only and never so much as looked at the mess.

He led Kurt up the stairs to the open plan living space, trying as best as he could to hide the fabric explosion.

"The bathroom's just down there," Sebastian said, pointing towards it.

Kurt side-stepped passed Sebastian on to the landing and followed the direction he pointed in.

There was a heavy ream of black velvet propped up against the wall outside the door and Kurt had flashbacks to his high school show choir days. He snorted a little and headed into the bathroom.

Once he'd stripped the top half of his body and had the ruined piece soaking in cold water, he realised his mistake. He didn't have anything to change into...he could __not __go outside shirtless. The paps were probably still around and they would have an absolute field day.

Kurt sighed and turned to open the door to peek out. Maybe Sebastian could lend him a shirt.

Only Sebastian was nowhere to be found. Kurt deliberated for a moment, and then, deciding he didn't need to hide, stepped out of the bathroom shirtless and walked through the apartment in search of him.

It was quite a nice place, Kurt mused. Untidy, but not __dirty. __"Um, hello?" he called out.

"Oh! Hi!" Sebastian let out, ducking up from a low cabinet in the tiny kitchen. "I was just looking if we had any eggs, I thought I could make us some French-" He broke off as he took in the sight before him. "...toast?" he finished weakly, swallowing hard.

Kurt Hummel looked amazing. Sebastian was no stranger to half-naked people walking around his living room, and yet…

Kurt was inwardly pleased at Sebastian's reaction to his physique. It hadn't been his intention, but it was welcome. Somewhere deep inside him the awkward, gawky teenager he'd once been struck a pose.

"I'm not hungry, thank you. I was just uh, wondering if I could borrow a shirt? I tend to not carry around spare changes of clothes with me when I leave the house." __Anymore anyway, __he added in his head.

Sebastian noticed his mouth was hanging open a little and snapped it shut. He nodded. "Sure. Sure, no problem. I'll just-" he swept his eyes over Kurt again, partly to check out his size, but mostly just to check him out. "I'll be right back."

He hurried to his bedroom and looked around. Laundry day had come and gone, but surely he had something that wasn't dirty or completely embarrassing? This was Kurt Hummel, style icon and overall sharp dresser - Sebastian was pretty sure a faded Dalton Lacrosse team shirt wasn't going to cut it. Not if he didn't want Kurt to leave his place in a huff and possibly even write a song about the experience.

With a stroke of genius, Sebastian quickly snuck into Elliott's room. "Okay, Starchild, let's see what you got…" he mumbled, and opened a drawer. "Leopard...tiger...more leopard...glitter...I don't even know what __this __is…Ha!"

Victoriously, Sebastian grabbed a plain black shirt from the back of the drawer. He cocked his head. "This might actually be __mine. __Huh." Not sure he was ready to think about the circumstances in which his clothes might have ended up in Elliott's drawers, he quickly took it and walked back to the living room, where he found Kurt inspecting the silvery cloth on the couch.

"It's a jacket," Sebastian said. "Or it will be, someday." He handed Kurt the shirt.

"I like it," Kurt said, fingering the material before taking the shirt. "Thanks."

He put it on and tugged the hem into place. It was a little tight - he noticed that Sebastian, while taller, was of slimmer build than he was - but it was better than walking out half-naked.

He noticed Sebastian staring at him and felt a little hot around the collar. "I'll go see about the stain."

"Okay," Sebastian mumbled.

He couldn't really describe what it felt like to see someone else wearing his clothes. It made him feel oddly territorial. Everything in his clothes was __his __, right?

Suddenly he really wanted Kurt to stay longer.

"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat? Or drink? I've got coffee, or..." he opened the fridge. "Juice...beer?"

Kurt raised his eyebrow. "It's a little early for beer, don't you think?"

"Uh...It's always happy hour somewhere in the world, right?" Sebastian offered, hoping to sound suave. "But I'm pretty sure I have tea as well...somewhere-" Where was that herbal stuff Elliott always drank before gigs with his band? "Not much else, I'm afraid, just eggs and toast and Lucky Charms without the...luck-" He broke off when he realised he was babbling. He really did want Kurt to stay.

Kurt smirked, almost fondly, and shook his head. "No thank you, I'll just take the shirt."

He slipped back into the bathroom and started the process of carefully wringing out the water from his shirt. The stain was already looking better and Kurt was confident that after a little TLC, the shirt would be back to normal. His dad would be proud of him.

He shook it out over the bath, carefully reshaping the arms and shoulder seams, and folded it up so it was easier to carry.

When he came out of the bathroom, Sebastian was still standing where he'd left him. Kurt took a moment to observe him. He really was attractive, and obviously gay - which was a bonus and not something that had happened very often in this town.

He could see a few freckles peaking out above the collar of Sebastian's shirt and wondered for a split second how far down they went. Then he shook himself. __Not now. __

He cleared his throat. "I'm all set."

Sebastian blinked and focused. "Alright. Um, well, it was a pleasure - I mean, not ruining your shirt but, meeting you! It was, uh...like in the movies." He smiled sheepishly.

Kurt smiled and nodded. "It was nice meeting you too."

They slowly descended the stairs.

"Thanks for the shirt," Kurt said as he reached the bottom. "I'll make sure you get it back."

"Oh, that's...okay. You can keep it if you want. Elliott had it for so long I kind of forgot it existed-" Sebastian stopped himself when he realised maybe getting the shirt back meant he'd get to see Kurt again.

__Probably not__, he told himself. There was no reason Kurt couldn't fed-ex it to him, or send his assistant. Or his assistant's assistant. Especially after that last line. __'Like in the movies', oh my god. Are you fourteen? __

Kurt smiled at him and turned to the door. The ironing board had fallen down in front of it again. He laughed as Sebastian darted forward to prop it back against the wall.

"Bye, then," Sebastian offered lamely, a light blush tinting his cheeks.

Kurt hesitated for a moment, weighing his options, and then rocked up onto his toes and kissed Sebastian on the lips.

Sebastian froze for a moment, holding his breath. Was this real life? But the feeling of Kurt's lips against his kicked his body into action and he kissed back automatically, closing his eyes and pressing forward eagerly. A huff of breath escaped from between his lips as he parted them. Kurt took the chance to pull Sebastian's upper lip between his own, tugging back a little. Sebastian's hands came up to rest on Kurt's hips - but before he fully realised what was happening, Kurt had broken the kiss and stepped out of his reach.

Kurt smiled at the dazed look on Sebastian's face, his eyes still closed as if he was expecting Kurt to return, and he backed out of the door, closing it behind him with a click.

With the closing of the door, the ironing board came down and crashed into Sebastian's shoulders. He tore open his eyes and blinked, still not completely sure what had happened. Had __Kurt Hummel __just kissed him?

* * *

As Sebastian made his way back to the store with two fresh frappuccinos, Steph just opened the door to let out a customer. Sebastian forced a smile and let him pass.

"CD man again?" he asked after the man had left, and handed Steph her drink.

She sighed. "Yeah. Wanted to ask if we had any Sinead O'Connor."

Sebastian snorted. 'CD man' came around regularly asking them if they sold cds, never quite understanding that they only sold sheet music.

"So, how did it go with Patrick? Did you get any...croissants?" Steph asked, picking up her drink.

"Huh?"

"You were gone for a while, I figured...you know." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Oh!" Sebastian caught on. "No, no, I, er, actually went up to my place for a second before coming back in."

"Perks of being the boss, huh?" Steph said, sipping her drink. Then she sighed pensively. "You know, I still can't believe Kurt Hummel was in our shop. "He's so handsome and amazing…"

"Mmm," Sebastian agreed.

Steph sighed again, but deeper this time, and with a little flutter of her eyelashes. "__Urgh __, sometimes I wish I was a gay man! Just imagine, somewhere out there, is a guy who gets to kiss him…"

"Yeah...imagine that," Sebastian mumbled, licking his lips.


	3. Star 69

Sebastian stared blankly at his half eaten bowl of luck-less cereal. He was bleary-eyed and his head was pounding. _ Half a bottle of tequila will do that to you Smythe_, he thought to himself.

It had been almost a full twenty-four hours since Kurt Hummel had walked into his store and Sebastian still couldn't wrap his head around it. _ Kurt Hummel had kissed him. And then left. _

Still thinking about it, his head drooped on his hand and his eyes slipped shut, jolting upright again as Elliott came out of his room, smudges of eyeliner still under his eyes. He looked as hung-over as Sebastian felt.

"Hey," his flatmate said, ruffling his hand through his hair. "I didn't hear you come in last night."

Sebastian acknowledged him with a nod and a grunt.

"Long night? Spill the tea honey," Elliott said, joining him at the table. "Scandals?"

"I don't feel like a game of kiss and tell," Sebastian said grumpily.

"Well, _ that'll _ be a first," Elliott replied, cocking his head. "Everything ok?"

Sebastian sighed. There was nothing to tell, because there hadn't _ been _ any kissing last night - after being kissed by Kurt Hummel, the local clientele of Lima's only gay bar had suddenly lost its appeal.

He'd stayed out and drank, trying to stop thinking about all of the ways he could have swept a superstar off his feet (but didn't), and he had ended up going home alone.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm fine," Sebastian said, and hoping to distract Elliott from himself, added: "How was _ your _ night, then?"

Elliott smiled and sat back, getting ready for a story. "Well, first I had a really nice talk with your mom-"

"My _ mom? _"

"Oh yes, she called just after you left. She's so lovely. And she worries about you, I told her you are _ fine_, the shop's _ fine_, you know...little white lies." He winked.

Sebastian let out a deep sigh. "Thanks, Ells."

"Then I was about to go out and someone else called - at first I thought it was your mom again, to be honest, his _ voice- _"

Sebastian looked up sharply. "Who?"

Elliott shrugged. "Didn't say his name, just asked for you. I said you left for a night out and it'd probably be early morning before you'd be back, walk of shame and all that - and I was right, wasn't I?" He gave Sebastian a knowing grin.

Sebastian groaned and let his head drop into hands. "Oh my god, Elliott..."

"What? You hate it when your dates call our home number."

"Did he say anything else?" Sebastian asked desperately.

Elliott offered him a guilty look.

"I'm not sure, I was kind of watching _ Queer Eye _on the side? You know how I am with make-over shows..."

At the murderous look that Sebastian shot him, he sat up.

"No, wait! I remember now. He said you could reach him at his dad's if you wanted." Elliott scrunched up his nose. "But honey, take it from me, dating a guy who still lives with his _ parents _is not-"

But Sebastian was no longer listening. He jumped up, grabbed the phone and hit *69. He held his breath and waited.

* * *

Kurt sat at the breakfast bar in his dad's kitchen nursing a mug of coffee. Sebastian never called him back last night - not that Kurt was surprised after what his roommate had insinuated.

Kurt couldn't even say why he'd contacted the man who spilled coffee (flavoured milkshake) over him, nor why he had kissed him when he left. All he knew was that there was something about Sebastian that intrigued him - and it was bugging him that he was yet to return Kurt's call.

Just then, Kurt's mobile started ringing and he jumped. Surely not...

He slid the green button across the screen and held the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi!" Sebastian said, relieved and shocked all at once that Kurt actually answered. "It's Sebastian...Smythe. Um, from _ Between the Sheets_? I didn't get your message until just now-"

Kurt felt his eyes widen as he recognised the voice, though he sounded slightly more raspy than he had the day before.

"Late night?" he asked slyly, an obvious smirk to his voice.

"Yeah, a bit," Sebastian admitted, clearing his throat. "Look, I'm sorry if Elliott made it sound like I didn't want to talk to you- I don't know what he said, but he thought you were, er- someone else."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. Was Sebastian dodging someone's calls? Or...several someone's?

His flirting had definitely been on point. And when he'd returned Kurt's kiss, Kurt had sensed a hidden power under the surface.

"Oh, no, not at all...It's fine. I only called because...This is probably gonna sound really sad, but you're the only person around my age I know in this town anymore and I was bored, so I looked up your number through the store. I figured I owed you a coffee or something..."

Sebastian briefly closed his eyes to compose himself. Kurt had called to ask him to...hang out? He couldn't help but think of their kiss, and immediately wonder what 'hanging out' with Kurt Hummel would entail. _ Okay, Sebastian, here's your chance to find out, _ he told himself.

"So...any chance you'll be bored again tonight? Because I can totally help you with that," he offered.

Kurt smirked. "Well now that you mention it," he said. "I think I just might be."

He hadn't really planned on staying around much longer, but now that Sebastian had called him back, going back to New York didn't feel very urgent anymore.

"Great, maybe we could- oh, _ fuck!"_ Sebastian cursed, closing his eyes tightly. "It's my sister's birthday party tonight! Fuck, I'm sorry, she doesn't have many friends, I really need to be there…"

Kurt felt a warmth bloom in his chest. So he had a sister. With a pang of sadness he thought of his brother Finn, whom they'd lost nearly 6 years ago.

"That's okay," Kurt started to say.

"It's not an excuse, I swear! I really wish I could-" Sebastian said, hating the timing of it all. He was sure someone like Kurt Hummel did not like being turned down twice.

"No..." Kurt interrupted. "I mean, it's okay, I'll be your...date? If you want?"

Sebastian paused. "You'd...come to my sister's party?" he asked incredulously. "We're meeting at a friend's place, it's not...exactly the Ritz."

Kurt chuckled. "I wasn't always a celebrity you know," he said playfully. "I know how to mingle with 'the common folk'."

Sebastian laughed a little, and Elliott shot him a surprised look. Sebastian quickly turned his back on him so he wouldn't be distracted.

"Okay, it's at seven, I could text you the address. We could meet there and go in together?" His voice went up a little at the end of his question. _ Together. With Kurt Hummel? _

Kurt grinned. "It's a date."

Sebastian agreed and they hung up. He looked at the phone in his hand for a moment and then put it down.

"So who was _ that? _" Elliott asked curiously.

Sebastian turned back around. Elliott had picked up an old copy of Out! Magazine and was leafing through it casually. From the cover, Kurt's blue eyes stared at him.

"Just...someone I met," Sebastian hedged.

Elliott raised his perfectly waxed eyebrow and crossed his legs, arms folding over his chest.

"Are you going to elaborate?"

Sebastian straightened his shoulders and pressed his lips into a smile. "We made out, it was hot, meeting him again, _ the end_," he said, hoping to sound casual. "Shoe size pending further info."

Elliot surveyed his friend and shook his head. "No, there's more to it than that. I've _ never _ seen you like this! You were practically _ giggling _ on the phone! What happened to Sebastian '_I don't need a man, I just need his dick' _Smythe?'"

Sebastian shrugged, his eyes drifting down to the magazine again before replying. All of him wanted to say something lewd, but with that picture of Kurt on the table, it felt _ wrong _ somehow.

"Maybe that guy needed a little breather," Sebastian admitted. "But I'm sure it'll be a one-time thing so I'll go back to normal tomorrow." He smiled self-consciously. "And you know my sister's always saying I should try and see someone for longer than twenty minutes..."

"Hmm," Elliott said, pondering his words. "Okay."

He didn't say anything more. He didn't believe Sebastian in the slightest, but he wasn't going to push it. "Just don't do anything I wouldn't do."

A grin broke out over Sebastian's face. "That gives us a lot of leeway then," he said, swiped the magazine off the table, and went to get dressed for work, humming cheerfully.


	4. Meet The Family

**Authors' Notes:** Thank you for everyone who has supported us with this new fic so far! Whether you have seen 'Notting Hill' or not, we love reading your comments and thoughts!

We're very excited to introduce three new OCs in this chapter (look out for some familiar faces too!). We hope you'll love them as much as we do - this is our favourite (and longest) chapter so far :)

(Psst go watch Notting Hill, it's on Netflix ;) )

* * *

Sebastian waited outside, a little out of sight from the windows of his friends' house. If he was going to be stood up or filmed by a camera team making fun of him falling for the joke, he'd rather that not everyone saw. Of course he knew that Kurt was right - Kurt hadn't always been famous, and he had lived in Ohio too. There were no rules saying he _ couldn't _ visit a regular person's house. Sebastian just wasn't sure why he'd _ want _ to.

If _ he _ was that famous, Sebastian imagined he'd probably move to New York or Paris, and never look back. Well, that wasn't completely true - his friends lived here, after all. They would just have to come with him as his entourage. The thought amused him and he smiled to himself. What would he be famous _ for__?_ Singing and dancing? Back in his show choir days at school he'd been pretty good - but good enough to make it a career? Acting, maybe? As a kid, he did like dressing up as superheroes a lot. He shook his head. _ I should probably just stick to selling music, _ he mused.

Kurt's Uber pulled up against the curb a little way down the road, due to the number of cars parked outside the houses.

He no longer had a car at his dad's house. His dad had a very sweet ride, a Chevrolet Corvette ZO6 that Kurt had bought him after his first album went platinum, but he and Carole were out tonight and there was no way on earth Kurt would ever be caught dead driving a Nissan Micra - which is what Carole drove.

He paid the Uber driver and climbed out of the car, a neatly wrapped package clutched in his grip.

He saw Sebastian standing further up the road. He was leant against a wall, one leg bent up with his foot resting flat against it. Kurt took a moment to admire his long frame.

Sebastian must have felt eyes on him, because he looked up and a hopeful smile spread across his face. The sight of it caused Kurt's heart to flutter and he returned the smile.

"Hi," Kurt said as he approached.

"Hi!" Sebastian said, pushing away from the wall. "Nice to see you again." He had told himself to definitely give it as much of a chance as he could tonight and not ruin it again - if his friends didn't ruin it for him. "You look great," he added.

"Thank you," Kurt said, smoothing down the lapel of his blazer. "So do you."

And he did, the dark green colour of his shirt made his eyes _ pop_. Those eyes. Up close, Kurt could see a million different shades of green and blue, all swirling together. It was like a whole galaxy swimming before him.

"Shall we?" Sebastian asked. He wasn't sure if he should offer Kurt his hand or his arm (or anything) so just sort of pointed in the direction of the house.

"Uh, yes," Kurt said, clearing his throat. He followed Sebastian's guidance and started walking up the path.

Nerves rose up in Sebastian's throat as he lead the way and rang the doorbell. He hoped his friends would behave.

As soon as the doorbell rang, the sound of a dog's excited barking could be heard from inside. Kurt's eyes widened a little and he looked at Sebastian, who was grinning.

"They have a dog, huh?" Kurt asked.

"Yup," Sebastian replied. "Mr Pupperoni, but we call him Mr Pup." His expression fell a little. "You're not allergic, are you?"

"Oh, no, no, it's fine," Kurt assured him. Sebastian let out a small huff of breath in relief.

The door opened and a small black and white corgi preceded his owner through the door. He barked happily and jumped up at Kurt.

Kurt froze a little and took a step backwards. He liked dogs but was not a fan of them jumping up and getting dog hair all over his clothes.

An attractive man greeted them. He had a towel over his shoulder and looked very stressed.

"Sorry," he said to Kurt, glancing at him but not really noticing him. "He loves new people. Get _ down._" He bent to pull Mr Pup off of Kurt and carried him into the house. "Come in, come in, I need to get back to the oven, I'm in the middle of a turkey crisis." He left the door open and hurried off, the dog still securely in his arms.

Kurt watched after him for a moment, slightly stunned.

"So that was Adrian," Sebastian said quietly, grinning. "I'm sure he'll introduce himself properly once he calms down. He doesn't cook very often and Mr Pup can be a handful." He stepped aside and let Kurt go in first.

Kurt stepped inside and wrinkled his nose a little as an unpleasant scent hit his nostrils. Something was definitely cooking alright - or rather _ burning. _

Sebastian walked in behind him and closed the door. "Here, let me take your jacket," he offered and Kurt let him slide the burgundy blazer off his shoulders.

"Thanks," Kurt said softly and stepped towards the living room while Sebastian hung it up in the hallway. He looked around and smiled. The decoration was impeccable. A soft eggshell brown was painted on the walls, giving off a warm, comforting feeling. The skirting board and door frames were painted in a crisp, fresh white and there were pictures _ everywhere. _

He recognised Adrian in most of the pictures. He was smiling happily together with another, _ very _attractive man. From the way they were hugging or holding hands in most of the pictures, Kurt assumed he was Adrian's partner. There were group photos too, with several other people.

Kurt smiled as he spotted Sebastian. They looked like a happy bunch. He felt Sebastian move beside him and turned towards him. "This house is beautiful," he said.

"It's nicer than my place," Sebastian admitted, looking around. "But Adrian is an interior decorator so they have an unfair advantage."

Kurt grinned. He was pretty sure no one needed an interior decorator to figure out where to put the ironing board.

Sebastian led the way towards the kitchen and they saw Adrian hurriedly take a large turkey out of the oven. It was smoking slightly.

"Can we help you, Adrian?" Sebastian asked his friend. "This is Kurt, by the way..."

Adrian nodded and wiped his hands on the towel on his shoulder and turned towards them. "Yes, I'm sorry, I'm a little stressed. Nice to meet you, Kurt-" He looked up and froze. "..._ Hummel? _My god."

Kurt smiled warmly at him and shook Adrian's hand. "Just Kurt is fine," he joked. "It's nice to meet you, you have a beautiful home."

"Uh...you think so?" Adrian asked, flushing. "I mean, yeah, thanks."

Kurt smiled. Watching grown men lose their composure over meeting someone famous never really got old, though he did always go out of his way to make people feel comfortable around him.

"I do," he confirmed, making a point to look around again.

Adrian shot Sebastian a wide-eyed look that demanded an answer about their unexpectedly famous guest. Sebastian shrugged casually as if he hung out with celebrities all the time, but inwardly he was a little pleased that Adrian was impressed.

Pretending not to notice the looks between the men, Kurt looked around and saw that half of the counters and appliances were set a good foot lower than the rest.

"Oh my god, it's Snow White's kitchen," he joked.

"No, it's mine," a voice said behind them and Kurt spun around to see the other man from the pictures roll into the room in a wheelchair. "Ade designed it for me."

Kurt's mouth dropped open and he blushed. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

The man shrugged it off and made his way to them. He stopped in front of Kurt and held out his hand.

"I'm Oliver. My friends call me Olli, but you can call me _ Snow _if you like." He winked. "Nice to meet you, Kurt."

Kurt shook Oliver's hand, still blushing slightly. "It's nice to meet you, too!"

The doorbell rang. Mr Pupperoni barked happily, darting towards the door. Adrian jumped to attention. "I'll get it, it's probably the birthday girl. Olli, could you-?"

Oliver nodded reassuringly and Adrian hurried from the room, the dog bounding ahead of him. Kurt could hear the door open and whispered voices and barks drift in from the hall. Someone - a woman, most likely, shrieked loudly and was then hushed.

"Can I get you a drink, Kurt?" Oliver offered, after checking on the food and turning down the stove a little.

"Oh er, yes please," Kurt said, still feeling a little awkward. Now who had to make whom comfortable?

"Red? White?"

"White, please."

"Sebastian, red, right?"

"Thanks, Olli." Sebastian offered Kurt a smile. As he caught his eye, Sebastian momentarily forgot everything around him.

"Seb, I love you babe, but you know the rules about sitting on my kitchen counter," Oliver said lightly as he reached for the wine rack.

Sebastian straightened up, realising he had indeed been slouching against the edge. Its height was just _ too _inviting. He exchanged a bashful look with Kurt.

Kurt smirked. It was Oliver's kitchen, alright.

Oliver navigated the kitchen with ease; the cabinets and surfaces clearly built to accommodate him. He poured a glass of white wine for Kurt, red for Sebastian and a glass of water for himself, joking he was the 'designated driver (like, _ all the time_)'. The door from the hallway opened.

"There she comes," Oliver announced, and raised his glass. "Happy birthday, beautiful!"

A short, cheerful looking blonde girl walked in, beaming, a light spring in her step. She was carrying Mr Pup, who was licking her ear. The others walked into the living room to greet her, and Adrian helpfully took their dog off her so she could say hello properly. Her eyes found her brother and her smile softened.

"Hey Seb, Adrian told me you brought a date who looks just like-" She broke off and yelped, her hands flying to cover her mouth.

Sebastian smirked. "Kurt, my sister Alice. Alice, Kurt."

"He's the _ real _Kurt!" Alice let out.

"He is," Sebastian confirmed, looking a little smug.

Kurt grinned and stepped forward, offering her his hand. "Happy Birthday Alice, I hope you don't mind me crashing your party?"

"Oh my god, Kurt Hummel! Of course I don't mind, this is the best present _ ever! _ I can't believe you know my baby brother! How did you two meet?!"

"We, uh, had a frappuccino together," Sebastian supplied, grinning a little.

_ "Oh," _ Alice replied, giving her brother a leer that rivalled his. "I _ see_." She looked both intrigued and impressed.

"The actual drink," Sebastian corrected her. "And I accidentally spilled it all over him so I probably owe him, like, ten dinners for that."

"Dinner!" Adrian let out, put the dog down, and hurried back to the kitchen again.

"Wait...why is _ Adrian _ cooking my birthday dinner?" Alice asked and turned to Oliver. _"__Y__ou're _ the chef!"

"Yes, he is," Adrian agreed from the kitchen, heaving a heavy pan off the stove, "which is why-_ ow!"_ He shook his hand after accidentally touching the hot pan with his finger, "he deserves a night _ off!" _He ran his finger under cold water.

"He _ insisted,"_ Oliver said, giving his husband a fond look over his shoulder before turning back to them. "Don't worry," he said, lowering his voice. "I made desert."

Sebastian let out a quiet moan. "Brownies?" he asked hopefully.

"Alice's favourite," Oliver confirmed.

"Everyone's favourite," Sebastian added.

Alice hopped on the balls of her feet in excitement. "You're gonna love them, Kurt. They're the best in the world!"

"They are. The Ritz has nothing on them," Sebastian agreed.

Kurt smiled. The proud and touched look on Oliver's face made his heart melt, and it made him want to join in. "I can't wait," he promised.

Oliver's eyes glittered. "I think we have time for a present before dinner is ready. Ade?" He turned to look over his shoulder.

Adrian nodded and dried his hands. "I'll go get it," he said.

"Yaay, presents!" Alice said, clapping her hands.

Adrian went into the other room and returned with a large rectangular present. He stepped up to the group and held it out.

"I helped pick it," Sebastian said with a smile. "Happy birthday Sis."

Alice gasped and took the parcel from Adrian with reverence. She gave Kurt an excited look. "I hope this is what I think it is!" she said happily.

Kurt smiled at her and watched as she ripped open the paper, revealing a navy blue box with gold lettering across the top. He knew that brand well.

Mr Pup did not care for brands. He attacked the wrapping paper with enthusiasm, trying to crawl under it and sniffing it from all sides.

"Oh my god!" Alice whispered, stroking the box with the tips of her fingers. "You didn't?"

"We _ did__,"_ Oliver said with a grin.

"I tried to stop them, Alice, I really did," Sebastian joked fondly, crouching to scratch Mr Pup's ears and gently pulling a part of the wrapping paper from his mouth. "She's been talking about nothing else for months," he added to Kurt as he straightened up again. "Very subtle hints."

Alice opened the box to reveal an ivy-coloured chiffon dress.

"It's _ beautiful__,"_ she whispered, lifting the dress from the box.

"It'll look lovely on you," Kurt said, admiring the Tea-Length cut. "And the colour is gorgeous!"

Alice squealed. "It is! Oh, I can't wait to try it on later! Not before dinner though, I might spill something on it. But after!"

"Yeah baby, fashion show!" Adrian called out.

Sebastian smiled happily. "My present-"

"Besides _ me__,"_ Kurt added helpfully.

"Besides Kurt," Sebastian agreed, "is that you get shoes to match the dress. But I figured it might be best if you tried those on, so your next free Saturday, I'm your guy. Shopping and gelato?"

"Yessss!"Alice said, beaming excitedly. She carefully folded the dress back into the box and put it down. "Ok, hugs! Who goes first?"

"Family first," Sebastian said, and wrapped his arms around her tiny frame.

"That's all of you, silly," Alice protested, but hugged her brother tightly. Then she bent down to hug Oliver. When she straightened up, Adrian held his arms out expectantly.

"Me too," he said, picking her up easily and twirling her around. "You weigh _ nothing," _ he said. "It's a good thing I am making lots of food."

"Yes, feed me, Adrian! But not too much or I won't fit into my new dress!" Alice protested half-heartedly. Adrian carefully set her down.

Alice was looking flushed. "I love you guys," she said with a sigh, then looked at Kurt. A little shyly, she stepped forward. "Can I...is it okay if I hug you too? It _ is _ my birthday…"

Kurt let out a little huff of breath in surprise. "Of course!" He stepped forward and hugged her. Alice made the tiniest squeaking sound.

"I um, got you a little something too," Kurt said as he let her go. He handed it to her. "It's not much, but I didn't want to turn up empty handed. Tonight was a little short-notice for me." He glanced at Sebastian.

"What!" Alice gasped. "Really?" She looked down on the wrapped present. "Oh my god, Kurt, you're my best friend already! Can we keep him, Bas?"

Sebastian blushed and cleared his throat.

Kurt grinned at Sebastian and raised his eyebrow. _ Yeah Bas, can you keep me? _Somehow he didn't think saying it out loud was a wise thing.

Sebastian smiled back nervously. He didn't exactly have a good record when it came to _ keeping _anyone. He hadn't thought that far ahead, either - he mostly just wanted to kiss Kurt again.

"Open it, Alice!" he encouraged her, to deflect attention from himself.

Alice eagerly did so and unwrapped an artfully sculpted glass pendant on a leather cord. She gasped.

"It's Venetian glass," Kurt explained. "Or, well, the shopkeeper said so, I bought it here. But it _ does _ look like the ones I saw in Venice."

"It's so pretty," Alice said happily. "I have never been to Venice, but I'll take your word for it. Thank you so much, Kurt. I'm going to have to hug you again, now!" As she wrapped her arms around him, she made a _ wow _face at her brother over Kurt's shoulder.

Sebastian shrugged. The doorbell distracted him from too many complicated thoughts.

Oliver rolled out of the room to answer the door, Mr Pup catching a ride on his knees, and the next second a tall man with a friendly face burst into the room signing 'happy birthday' and brandishing a somewhat messily wrapped gift.

"Happy Birthday, Alice!" he said, handing her the parcel. "It's a scarf but you don't have to wear it."

He turned to Sebastian and Adrian. "Hi boys, the fun has arrived! Let's get the party started."

Sebastian grinned and clapped Alex' shoulder. "Hey man. This is Kurt; Kurt, my kindergarten friend Alex."

"Hi!" Alex shook Kurt's hand. "Nice to meet you. I don't go to kindergarten anymore," he explained unnecessarily.

"Good!" Kurt let out, barely containing a laugh. "What about high school?"

"Finished that too!" Alex replied seriously. "Same year as Seb. Not the same school though, my parents weren't that loaded. But at least I didn't have to wear a tie in class!"

"Lucky you," Kurt agreed fondly, already liking this guy.

Adrian and Oliver watched Alex for a moment, exchanging amused looks between themselves. Alex clearly had no clue who Kurt was.

Sebastian had noticed it too, and was secretly glad - his friend sometimes had a very unfiltered vocabulary. Hopefully they could ease him into it during dinner and keep his colourful expressions to a minimum.

Alice had unwrapped the scarf and kissed Alex' cheek, insisting that she liked it despite his attempts to talk it into the ground. While they were discussing it, Adrian stole the scarf and wrapped it around his head like a turban. Oliver immediately took his phone out to take a picture, and then sternly told him to give it back to Alice (and added that he could get one for his next birthday). Sebastian immediately butted in and said it would clash with Oliver's tea towels, causing Adrian to whip his off his shoulder and snap it at Sebastian's legs.

Kurt stood back a little and surveyed the group of friends. It was clear that they were very close, their jokes and jibes were friendly and teasing. It spoke of years of familiarity and closeness.

Kurt felt a little twinge of jealousy. He'd had a close group of friends once, at least, he'd thought he had. His Glee club at school had felt like a family who would stick together no matter what. But as they grew up and moved apart, he realised that most of them had never _ really _ been friends. They had been friendly, of course, but only in the way that a group of outcast kids with nowhere else to go could be...there were no lasting bonds there, except for one or two.

"So Kurt," Alex's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he turned to face him. "What do you do?"

Kurt blinked at the man, waiting to see if he was serious. When he realised he was, Kurt hummed. "I'm a singer," he said simply.

"Really? Like, uh, you do weddings and stuff? With a keyboard or something?" Alex asked curiously.

Kurt bit the inside of his cheek. "Err, no. Not quite. I write and record my own music."

"Wow!" Alex let out, nodding appreciatively. "That must be really tough! I mean, a lot of work goes into that, doesn't it? And costs as well, renting a studio...and then you need to push it, get some local station to play it...is it enough to make ends meet?"

"Well, yes," Kurt said modestly. "My latest album did pretty well."

_ "Latest _ album? Alright! How many did you sell?" Alex asked eagerly.

Kurt paused for a beat. "One point two million."

_ "Million? _" Alex repeated, a blush creeping onto his face. He cleared his throat. "I guess that's pretty good, then."

"It won a few awards as well," Alice whispered into Alex's ear. "It was at the top of the charts for weeks."

Alex groaned as his mind caught up. "You guys could have _ said _ something! You totally let me walk into this thing! You know I don't listen to the radio…How does Sebastian even know him?"

"They're coffee shop acquaintances," Alice said, her eyes glittering.

Alex paused. "Is that code for something?" he whispered back.

Adrian chuckled and clapped his back. "I'm gonna finish up dinner and put Mr Pup in the bedroom so he doesn't steal our food. Olli, Seb, could you set the table?"

Sebastian smiled fondly at Alex and Kurt as Kurt started explaining how they had met. Oliver watched him for a moment, then pulled him aside in the ruse of getting plates out of the cupboard.

"So you and Kurt Hummel? _ Really? _" Oliver asked quietly.

Sebastian shrugged awkwardly. "I don't know. I mean, we kissed-" he confessed.

Oliver grinned devilishly, his eyes glittering. "Tell me more."

"That's all there is!" Sebastian let out, a little louder than he wanted. He glanced over his shoulder. The others were still talking. "We kissed, he left, then he called and asked if I wanted to keep him company while he's here visiting his dad."

Oliver leered a little. "And..._ have _ you been 'keeping him company'?"

Sebastian silently gestured at the house and the group in the living room, as if to ask 'is this not company?'.

When Oliver kept up his knowing look, he sighed. It was not the kind of company-keeping his friend was hinting at.

"No comment, Olli," he mumbled grudgingly.

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Well, _ that _ means you have."

"No comment just means 'no comment'!" Sebastian protested.

He wasn't sure why he was surprised Oliver would assume they had slept together. It wouldn't be that unusual for Sebastian if it had been anyone else - but this was Kurt Hummel! Sebastian figured he wasn't as easily talked into a quickie - he had _ standards. _

"Bullshit," Oliver let out. "'No comment' totally means yes...Do you masturbate in the shower?"

Sebastian scoffed. "Definitely no comment!"

"See, it means _ yes, __"_ Oliver concluded, looking pleased with himself. "But you could do worse," he added kindly. "Just don't break his heart or he might write a song about it."

Sebastian shook his head. "You're one to talk," he said, offering his friend a wistful smile. He picked up a basket of bread Adrian had set aside so he had something in his hands to bring to the table.

Oliver gave him a moment before joining them with a stack of plates. "Alright, Adrian, I think we are ready for your magic turkey," he suggested.

* * *

Dinner was the strangest experience of Kurt's life. The turkey ended up being cooked really well in some parts, and not at all in others. The assortment of vegetables that went with it followed suit, with some being so soft they barely needed chewing and others still as raw as the day they came from the ground. They also ran out of gravy half way through.

Kurt didn't care. Watching the group interact and welcome him into the fold as if he had been there for years, was very humbling. The food also reminded him, bizarrely, of his dad's cooking, and that only made him feel even more at home.

"Kurt, my dude, I'm so sorry about earlier," Alex announced as he finished his plate.

Kurt grinned. "It's okay. I didn't know who _ you _ were before tonight either."

Alex contemplated that for a moment, then grinned.

"You know everything you say is just amazing?" Alice said, resting her chin on her palm and gazing at Kurt with little stars in her eyes. "And your outfit! We should go shopping together one day!"

Sebastian opened his mouth to say something, then changed his mind. It was his sister's birthday, and he didn't want to ruin her mood. But was there going to be a 'one day' for them?

The more Kurt integrated within his group of friends - his family - the more Sebastian wanted it, but he had to be realistic. This was only a first date - and not even a real one! Kurt would be going back to New York or Miami or London or Venice or wherever his next album tour would take him. The chances that he'd come around to see Alice (or him) again seemed slim.

Kurt smiled at Alice and placed his hand over hers. "It would be my pleasure."

Alice bounced in her seat and Kurt felt a sudden wave of protectiveness for her. She had such a pure heart.

Kurt looked up and caught Sebastian's eye. He blushed a little and offered Sebastian a smile. He'd gotten so caught up in the atmosphere of the evening, it hadn't occurred to him that he may never see any of them again.

And yet, Sebastian found himself returning the smile like their future had already been settled, like hanging out with his sister was something his twenty-minute hookups usually did. He glanced at Oliver, who was holding Adrian's hand.

"Time for desert, I think," Oliver announced, clearing his throat. "Who wants a brownie?"

There were cheers all around and Kurt cheered too, grinning from ear to ear. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had such a relaxed and charming evening.

Oliver rolled into the kitchen and emerged a few moments later, a plate of brownies in his hand.

The brownie on the top of the pile had a single green candle in it and Alice beamed as they all sang happy birthday to her. Kurt made everyone startle a bit as he layered his voice over theirs, adding a showy little run to the simple song. He _ was _ a professional singer, after all.

"You guys are the best," Alice said as she took the plate from Oliver and blew out the candle.

"We couldn't fit _ all _ the candles on it or the brownies would be a poke cake," Sebastian teased, "so that single one represents _ many_."

"Ha. Ha. Adrian is older than me," Alice reminded him. Then she looked at Kurt and struck a pose. "What would you say? Not a day over 21, right?"

"Definitely not!" Kurt said honestly. "Your skin is amazing!"

"Thank you," Alice said, throwing Sebastian a pointed look. She took a brownie off the plate and then offered Kurt the next one. "Best friends first," she said.

Kurt smiled and took a brownie. "Thank you."

He bit into the brownie and couldn't help the moan that escaped from his mouth.

"Oh my god!" he exclaimed. "That's- That should be illegal! It tastes so good!"

Sebastian just stared.

The others were all digging into the brownies, but his mind was still trying to wrap around the sound Kurt had made. He had felt it deep in his chest and it had rippled down to his groin, and suddenly he wanted nothing more than being the one to make Kurt reproduce it in a more private setting.

He caught Oliver eye. His friend was looking both smug and slightly envious.

Sebastian breathed in deeply, wiped his palms on his jeans, and took a brownie as well. Unlike Kurt, he already knew about Oliver' skills in the kitchen, and yet, even he couldn't help letting out a soft sigh as the chocolatey cake melted on his tongue.

Alex eyed the plate and quickly took two more pieces. They were going away fast.

"Alex, don't eat _ all _the brownies," Adrian admonished.

"Mmmnot!" Alex let out, spraying a few crumbs over the table.

"He can have mine, I cleaned the bowl," Oliver said with a grin.

Alex smiled and reached for another. There was only one piece left.

"That's yours, Kurt," Alice said with a fond smile.

"Oh no!" Kurt said in protest, though he was secretly hoping he could. "It's _ your _ birthday!"

"I'm fine, I already had two! Go on!" Alice said.

"No, really," Kurt said, "Please, one of you have it."

"Well, if you insist," Sebastian joked, pretending to reach for it.

Alice slapped his hand away. "Don't be rude, Bas!" she said.

"Yeah, who says you deserve it?" Adrian said, cocking his head. "I mean, you brought a superstar as your date - the rest of us need that brownie a lot more than you." He winked at Oliver.

"I'll do you a deal," Adrian continued. "The last brownie will go to the saddest act here."

"Ha!" Alex stood up from his seat. "That's clearly me!" he said, reaching for it.

Adrian lifted the plate away from him.

"What?" Alex protested. "I work at shitty call centre job selling bonds to people that don't really want them and I still live in my mom's basement!"

"Your mom's a darling," Alice reminded him, "and at least you _ have _ a job. I'm just temping. It pays near to nothing and I can get fired the next day. I can't even afford a place big enough to host my own birthday party!" She eyed the brownie. Despite her attempt to be polite to Kurt, she really did want it.

"But then, you _ are _ best friends with Kurt Hummel," Adrian reminded her.

"That's true," Alice agreed drily. "He needs me, what can I say?"

They all laughed heartily. Kurt blew her a kiss.

"Also," Oliver added quietly, "your legs work, and you don't need a stair lift and a miniature kitchen in your house."

The group sobered up at that. Sebastian felt something heavy settle down in his stomach.

"And then there's something else," Oliver added quietly, glancing at Adrian, who pressed his lips together stoically and nodded. Oliver straightened his back and looked at the group of friends.

"We heard back from the adoption centre yesterday...turns out that we aren't eligible to be parents." He grimaced and reached for his husband's hand. "The gay thing was pushing it, but gay _ and _ disabled?" He pulled up his shoulders. "I told them to consider the awesome piggyback rides, but-"

Sebastian briefly closed his eyes. He knew how badly they had wanted this. "Olli, I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Oliver shook his head, avoiding their eyes.

Adrian squeezed his hand. "On the bright side, you get the brownie," he said, clearly lighter than he felt.

"Unless..." Alex chipped in, looking at Sebastian and grinning.

"Sebastian Smythe...bright light of his parents' hopes and dreams, forsaking the Big Apple and the City of Love to settle down in Nowhere, Ohio, with a nearly bankrupt shop- handsome, yes, but at what cost? Avoids heartbreak by never, ever losing his heart to anyone."

"Oooooh," supplied Oliver teasingly, grateful for the distraction.

"If anyone needs the pity brownie, maybe it's him," Alex continued gleefully, "because after tonight, Kurt is definitely not going to be calling him back. Not after meeting _ us! _"

They all laughed. Sebastian shook his head, grinning despite himself. He pulled up his shoulders in mock-defeat and reached for the brownie.

Kurt spoke up. "Hey! What about me?"

Sebastian raised an eyebrow in challenge. "I'm sorry, you think _ you _ deserve the brownie?"

Kurt sat up. "Well, a shot at it at least?"

Sebastian put the brownie down. "Alright Hummel, give us your best shot."

Kurt pursed his lips and thought for a moment before speaking. "My mom died when I was eight years old, leaving my dad to raise me by himself. He did his best but...I wasn't exactly his idea of 'the perfect son'. I went to ballet instead of soccer, I joined Glee club instead of the football team... it took him a while to get things right."

The group all winced slightly at Kurt's words.

"Being gay and more...effeminate than the other boys in my class didn't endear me to them either, and I was bullied throughout my entire school career. Until I was forced to drop out at sixteen, when one of the guys on the football team forced himself on me in the locker room and then threatened to kill me if I told anyone."

Alice gasped.

Sebastian, who had been sitting with his arms crossed over his chest to listen, feeling a little defensive after Alex had implied Kurt wouldn't call him back, now lowered them and wanted nothing more than to hug him. One look around the table told him the others all felt the same.

How could anyone ever even consider hurting someone as beautiful and talented as Kurt?

"I eventually got to where I am now," Kurt added, "but not without making the discovery that 'the biz' is just like high school, only the bullies are meaner, drive bigger cars and can make or break a career."

Kurt pulled up the corner of his mouth in a thin-lipped smile. "And, at some point in the not-so-distant future, another artist will come along who is younger or can sing better than me, they'll all stop buying my songs and I will fall into the oblivion of has-beens that turn up once in a blue moon on Buzzfeed's 'where are they now' posts."

For a moment, none of them said anything.

"Worst of all though," Kurt continued, and everyone at the table braced themselves, "you have _ no _ idea how much it hurts to have to wear skinny jeans like this all the time." His eyes glittered and he offered them a small smile.

"Aaaaaaand you just lost the brownie!" Alex let out.

"Yeah man, nice try," Adrian joked, clapping Kurt's shoulder and pushing the plate over to Sebastian.

Sebastian huffed out a small laugh that released some of the tightness that had built up in his chest at hearing Kurt's story. He knew what Kurt was doing, adding a joke to distract from the pain, and he was awed. Kurt could have just as easily made something up or used the opportunity to brag, but he hadn't.

Sebastian didn't doubt that his story was 100% true. He was also pretty sure that Kurt was aware of how it sounded, even in the concise version, and he was helping _ them _ bear it more easily. If possible, it endeared him to the singer even more.

He took the brownie and broke it in two. "Here," he said, offering Kurt the larger piece. "I kind of think Olli deserves some too but he can always make his own." He shot a look at Oliver and winked.

Oliver held his hands up as if in surrender. Normally he might have argued with Sebastian for the brownie. Tonight however, he was happy to sit back and let his friend take it. He seemed happy, and it was the first time in a long time that Oliver had seen Sebastian truly interested in someone.

Kurt took the piece of brownie, offering Sebastian a small smile.

The ice was definitely broken between them now, and the evening wound down feeling like they had all known each other for years. Sebastian and his friends mercilessly roasted each other with sharp wit, but it was never cruel, and each of them gave as well as they got. They included Kurt without hesitance, and he proved to be a worthy opponent. Sebastian couldn't believe why he'd never known how smart and interesting Kurt was - all he knew was the aloof but brilliant musician from tv and the stories the press had made up about him.

They finally said their goodbyes and left, after Kurt promised Alice they really would go shopping soon.

"Shall I call you an Uber?" Sebastian suggested. "Or...do you wanna walk? It's still nice out."

Kurt looked up at the clear night sky, the faintest glow of pale blue still illuminating the horizon as the sun said its final farewell. He had had an amazing evening and he wasn't quite ready for it to end.

"Let's walk," he said softly, falling into step beside Sebastian.

Sebastian felt his heart do a little skip, and offered him his arm as they walked down the street.

"Sorry about the jokes," he said. "It's what we do."

Kurt smiled and took the arm, sliding his hand through the gap and holding on to Sebastian's bicep.

"I had a really nice evening," he said honestly. "It's nice that you're all so close that you can be like that...thank you for including me too."

"Hey, you eat at Olli's house and you're one of us, babe, whether you like it or not," Sebastian joked.

Kurt felt his heart flutter at the endearment and grinned for a moment, before letting it fall.

"How long has he been in a wheelchair?" he asked quietly.

Sebastian pretended to do the math, even though he didn't need to. He'd never forget that date.

"Five years, two months and 3 days," he replied stoically. "He was in a car accident."

He paused. "_We _ were in a car accident," he corrected. "I was in the car with him. He was driving. We were arguing and...he turned to look at me, and missed a red light."

Kurt gasped and clasped his hand to his mouth. "Oh my god," he whispered. "W-were you alright?"

Sebastian looked away and nodded. "I was fine, health-wise anyway. But Olli...he took the full force of the crash and...that was it."

Kurt felt tears well in his eyes, his heart aching for his new friends. As he looked at Sebastian, he could see the pain and guilt he still clearly felt radiate from him. Then something else Sebastian had said registered in his mind.

"What were you arguing about?"

Sebastian contemplated not telling him, but didn't want to lie to him either.

"About where to put the couch in our apartment," he said quietly.

Kurt let those words sink in. "In your- oh god."

Sebastian looked at him from the side and pulled up the corner of his mouth. They hadn't lasted long after the accident; frustration, pain, guilt and regret and driven a wedge between them, and Sebastian had moved into the apartment by himself and looked for a flatmate.

"I thought you never gave your heart to anyone?" Kurt teased lightly, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Not anymore, I guess," Sebastian replied, though he was pretty sure that had stopped being true somewhere in between the main course and desert.

Kurt squeezed his arm and rested his cheek against Sebastian's shoulder. "You seem like you have a good relationship now though?"

Sebastian nodded. "It helped when he met Adrian. It took the pressure off of _ us_. We could concentrate on being friends again without having to be something else." Taking a leaf out of Kurt's book, he added: "I'd have been a fool to completely forsake my chance at those brownies, right? Keep your friends close, and your exes closer - if they happen to be a gourmet chef."

Kurt grinned, "Oh for sure! I'll be having dreams about those brownies! I may even write a song about them!"

"He'd be so proud if you did," Sebastian said, smiling fondly.

They walked on in silence for a few streets, both of them considering the new intimacy between them after Sebastian's confession.

"You know, I have a shop selling sheet music, but you're the first person I've met who _ writes _ songs," Sebastian said after a while.

Kurt smiled. "I learned from an early age that there wasn't much material out there that matched my..._ unique _ abilities. I was too male for female parts, but 'not man enough' for male ones...so I wrote my own. I always had too much to say as well."

Sebastian chuckled. "That's an inventive way of dealing with that. Other people just start a blog," he joked. He looked at Kurt from the side again. "People are idiots," he said softly. "You're definitely man enough."

He remembered a time where he, out of insecurity, may have picked on anyone outside the typical high school norm, but he stopped doing that long ago.

Kurt grinned. Despite moments of doubt sometimes, he'd grown into his skin and was confident in his own abilities. He'd worked hard to get to where he was now, and he wouldn't let anyone tarnish that.

"So," he said, in an attempt to lighten the conversation. "What does Sebastian Smythe do in his spare time? Aside from picking up men with the pun of his store?" He waggled his eyebrows comically to indicate the was teasing.

"Oh, not much, it's a full-time job," Sebastian said smoothly, then snorted. "I don't know, the regular stuff?" He shrugged. "Go and watch a movie, read, tell my flatmate off for leaving his sewing equipment all over my place...You?"

Kurt shrugged. The newspapers and tabloids often made out that he lived the typical 'rock and roll' lifestyle, but that was just their projection.

"I like reading, maybe going to see a show or binge watching on Netflix. I spend so much of my time on the road, that when I get home I just want to chill and write music, or switch off from it completely."

He gave Sebastian a rueful smile. "I guess I'm not your typical pop star."

Sebastian grinned. "Well, you didn't exactly strike me as a 'trash the hotel room' or 'snort-coke-off-a-guy's-butt' kind of star," he said. "Though I'm sure that would have its own appeal."

Kurt grimaced. "Ugh," he said, faking a shudder "Thankfully _ that _ side of the lifestyle has never appealed to me."

Sebastian chuckled. "Don't diss it before you try it," he joked. They walked on for a bit. Sebastian was trying to decide whether or not to ask. As they reached the intersection that would take him down to his store, he decided to go for it.

"You know, if you wanted...we're not that far from my place-? Maybe...some coffee?"

Kurt turned to look at him, considering his offer.

He'd had an amazing evening and despite only knowing him for 24 hours, Kurt felt a connection with Sebastian. He was charming, funny, sassy..._ incredibly _sexy...and everything Kurt would normally go for in a man.

But they lived hundreds of miles apart - both physically and mentally- and despite what the media said, Kurt wasn't one for spending his nights with a wide array of bed partners. Of course, they_ could _ go back to his little apartment and just drink coffee and talk...but would that be enough?

As he saw the hopeful yet nervous look in Sebastian's eyes, Kurt felt his heart soften. He sighed. "Too complicated," he said regretfully, coming to a decision. He stood up on his tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Sebastian's cheek. "Thank you for a wonderful evening."

"What about a date?" Sebastian blurted out before he could help himself. "A _ real _ one, not one where you're forced to attend a stranger's birthday party and pretend to like their friends. Dinner, a movie...Netflix and chill?"

He could feel his heart beating in his chest. He knew he would have regretted it if he didn't at least try, even if he felt incredibly stupid offering himself up to be blown off twice.

Kurt blushed a little at Sebastian's urgency. He wasn't the only one who had felt it, then.

There were a hundred reasons why he should decline that offer too, but as Kurt looked into those green eyes he felt his resolve waiver. What harm could one little date do?

He smiled. "Dinner and a movie sounds good."

"Great!" Sebastian said happily, pushing down the panicky bachelor inside of him. "We could go to Olli's restaurant! The food is excellent and it's not too expensive. Uh - not that you...obviously...Or some place else, I mean, whatever you want," he stumbled. "I could pick you up tomorrow at 8?" he added, hoping to recover a little.

Kurt grinned. "As long as it's not _ Breadstix__,_ I don't mind where we go." He felt a bubble of excitement swell inside him. "Tomorrow at 8 sounds great...I'll text you my address."

"Great!" Sebastian heard himself say again, sounding preppy. "I'll just- I'll see you then." He leaned forward a little and kissed Kurt's cheek like the other man had just done. He smelled like expensive scents with a hint of chocolate brownie.

Sebastian wondered what his lips would taste like now, but figured it might fall under 'too complicated' as well. "Goodnight, Kurt," he offered instead. "Thanks for tonight."

Kurt smiled and backed away slowly, keeping eye contact.

"Goodnight, Sebastian."

Sebastian nodded and turned around, making himself start walking.

_ 'Great!' 'Netflix and chill'? _What was _ wrong _ with him?

Sebastian was just glad no one he knew had been around to witness this. A _ date. _An actual non-hook-up date ('too complicated'. Hmm. hook-ups weren't that complicated...dating was!).

Sebastian was way out of his depth, but he didn't know anyone to ask. His friends from tonight were out of the question - they'd assume way too much and they'd already met Kurt so he couldn't be vague about it. Elliott wasn't great at dating either and Sebastian was definitely not about to confide in his parents. There was no one.

_ You can do this, _ he told himself. _ When are you ever going to get the chance to go on a date with a superstar again? _


	5. Would You Rather?

"Okay, come on, you can do this," Sebastian muttered to himself as he fumbled with his contact. He was running late. ****  
****

Somehow, trying to find an outfit for an actual date (and not just a shirt that said 'fancy a fuck?') had proven to be more difficult than he expected. He had never noticed before, but somehow all of his clothes were either 'I work at a store' or 'get it here'. Neither would do for someone as fashionable as Kurt Hummel. ****  
****

In the end, he had decided a boring shirt was better than a mesh one (especially if they wanted to eat at Olli's) so he had finally gotten dressed, but the whole business had left him way too little time to do his hair and put in fresh contacts. ****  
****

"Ow, fuck!" he shouted as his finger plunged right into his eyeball. He pulled the finger away and dug the heel of his hand into the eye to stop it watering. He blinked rapidly with the other eye - which successfully had a lense in. ****  
****

"Shit," he moaned as he realised the lens had fallen into the sink - which was full of glitter from Elliott's make-up. He let his hand flop down to the rim of the sink and his shoulders drooped. He reached down and retrieved the little clear cup, now covered in specks of glitter. It had been his last pair. ****  
****

Knowing he wouldn't be able to see anything of the film with only one side, Sebastian cursed loudly and took the other contact out as well. ****  
****

Sebastian tried to avoid wearing his glasses whenever he could for vanity reasons, but now he had no choice. Cancelling was no option, and going on a date blind wasn't either. ****  
****

"Ohhh, the sexy librarian look, I like it," Elliott purred as he caught sight of Sebastian. He picked up his phone and pointed the camera at him. "Do the 'shhh' lips!" ****  
****

"Fuck off, Elliott," Sebastian said. "And clean the sink. It's a glitter party in there." ****  
****

Elliott smirked. "Yes _sir._" He pretended to shudder. ****  
****

Sebastian just rolled his eyes and shrugged on a jacket. Hopefully Kurt liked the glasses as well. He _did _ say he liked to read…

* * *

Kurt stood in front of the mirror in the hallway trying out different jacket and shoe combinations. Sebastian was a little late, but honestly, Kurt was relieved. It had given him time to compose himself. It had been a long time since he'd been on a proper first date and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. ****  
****

He eventually settled for a pair of black leather ankle boots and a black bomber jacket. The combination went well with his dark denim slim fit jeans and white t-shirt with a graphic print. ****  
****

The doorbell rang and Kurt gave himself a final once over in the mirror. His hair was swept up in a carefree, slightly messy way that said 'I didn't try _too _ hard' - when in actual fact it took him twenty minutes of carefully blow drying and then styling with expensive hair products that his highschool self would have killed for. ****  
****

He nodded at his reflection and opened the door. The sight of Sebastian on his doorstep caused all the air to be sucked from his body. He was _gorgeous. _ ****  
****

"Hi," Kurt said, slightly breathless. "You wear glasses?" ****  
****

"No!" Sebastian let out, "I mean, yeah, uh...contacts, usually, but I ran out, so-" He gestured at his glasses helplessly. "I hate them," he added in a mumble. "They're super old." ****  
****

"They're hot!" Kurt said before he could stop himself. He blushed. "I mean err, I like them, they really suit you...you should never take them off...ever." ****  
****

His blush got darker and he closed his eyes. _When did I become a teenager again? _ he thought to himself. ****  
****

Sebastian grinned. "Never, huh?" he teased, feeling very pleased. He looked over Kurt's outfit. He looked amazing. ****  
****

"Your outfit is rather hot too, though I won't insist that you never take it off..." ****  
****

He waggled his eyebrows and smirked. ****  
****

Kurt grinned, regaining some of his confidence and he winked. ****  
****

_Why were they even going out? _Kurt had half a mind to drag Sebastian inside, but a cough from the next room gave him clarity. ****  
****

_Because you're not at your apartment in New York Kurt, and there is no way you're having sex with a stranger with your dad in the next room. _****  
****

"Shall we?" Kurt said nodding at the car in front of his house. ****  
****

"Sure," Sebastian said, pleased they were off on a good start. He might not do dating very well, but he _did _do innuendo. "Will you be driving then?" he asked casually. ****  
****

Kurt smirked as he shut the door behind them. "If you're lucky." ****  
****

Sebastian snorted a little. "I'm always happy to catch a ride," he said, and walked around the car to the passenger seat, pleased they had _that _ settled already just in case. ****  
****

"This car is amazing," he let out. ****  
****

"It's my dad's," Kurt admitted. "But yeah, it's pretty sweet." He unlocked the doors and they got in. "So, where to?" ****  
****

"Well, you said no Breadstix, so...shall we go to Olli's place? He won't be in tonight but he has his kitchen staff drilled well and his sous-chef does these amazing appetisers...Stop me if I talk about food too much." ****  
****

Kurt nodded and started the car, enjoying the purr of the engine. "You like food, huh?" ****  
****

It would explain him having dated a chef. Kurt wondered if he should feel awkward going to the restaurant owned by Sebastian's ex, but having met Oliver (and Adrian), he found that he didn't mind. He definitely wouldn't say no to more of those brownies. ****  
****

"I was kind of raised into it," Sebastian admitted. My grandparents are from France and my mom was _not _ gonna tolerate generic baby mush in the house, you know? I'm pretty sure I was the only toddler in Ohio daycare that had brie in their lunchbox." ****  
****

Kurt grinned at the image of a tiny Sebastian eating fancy cheese and crackers for his lunch. "I love that," he said honestly. "Have you spent much time in France?" ****  
****

Sebastian shrugged. "We used to go over on summer vacations and I went to stay there by myself for a bit...after the crash-" He shrugged again, a little less comfortably, and tried to recover by putting on a leer. ****  
****

"It's pretty good to have a free place to stay in Paris, you know? All I needed to pay for was the flight! Plus my grandparents are so old, they just slept through _everything _." He winked at Kurt. ****  
****

Kurt rolled his eyes but grinned. "I love Paris," he said. "I did three shows there on my European tour last year, it's a beautiful city." ****  
****

"Wow, yeah...of course you've been," Sebastian said to himself. Then he offered Kurt a self-conscious smile. "The whole 'I've been to Paris' line usually works quite well for me," he admitted. "Most guys I meet here never made it out of Ohio." ****  
****

Kurt grinned and winked at him. "I'm not most guys," he said playfully. ****  
****

Sebastian returned the grin and reached over the console to place his hand on Kurt's leg. "That's okay, I like a challenge." ****  
****

"Good," Kurt said with a smirk and moved Sebastian's hand back to his own lap, patting it softly. He let the smirk soften to a smile and stuck his tongue out playfully. ****  
****

He looked out at the road ahead of him and let his mind wander back to a time where he would have been very impressed with someone who'd been to New York - or anywhere outside of the state. He shook his head. "I couldn't wait to get out of here..." ****  
****

Sebastian looked at him from the side. It seemed almost possible Kurt actually grew up in Ohio. He could hardly believe they'd gone to school in the same state, only a short drive away. He wondered if they would have liked each other then. _He would have left for stardom all the same, _ Sebastian reminded himself. Kurt Hummel did not seem like the kind of man who would let romance get in the way of his career. ****  
****

"I guess my staying just came down to lack of ambition on my part," Sebastian admitted. "I started working at the shop as an assistant and when the woman who ran it retired, I took over." ****  
****

"And changed the name?" Kurt asked playfully, glancing at him from the side. ****  
****

"Yeah," Sebastian admitted. ****  
****

Kurt smiled. "I always had big dreams. Of course those dreams were mainly of being on stage in a Broadway play, not necessarily as a pop star." He shrugged. "But someone heard me sing and offered me a record contract...and things just kinda went from there." ****  
****

"Well, you'll reach a lot more people this way," Sebastian said. "Not everyone can afford traveling to New York to see a musical...but they can turn on the radio." He pointed down the street. "There, on the corner. You can use Oliver's parking spot, he told me it was okay." ****  
****

Kurt followed Sebastian's finger to the spot and swung the car around into it. _So Olli endorsed their date, huh? _****  
****

"How long has he owned this place?" Kurt asked as he put the car in park. ****  
****

"A few years, about as long as I've owned my shop. His place is obviously a lot more successful than mine...Sheet music is becoming redundant and _food _will never be."

Sebastian shrugged. "At least I'll never go hungry as long as I can freeload at his place...um, I'll be paying tonight, of course!" he added quickly. ****  
****

Kurt smiled and shook his head. "We can split it." ****  
****

"Well, if you insist," Sebastian joked. "Do you want to open your own door as well?" He winked. ****  
****

Kurt smirked. "I might let you open it for me if you insist." ****  
****

Sebastian saw the challenge glitter in Kurt's eyes and couldn't get out of the car fast enough. He quickly rounded the hood and opened Kurt's door. ****  
****

"You should know this is a big first for me," Sebastian said, grinning. "I don't go around doing this for just anyone." ****  
****

Kurt chuckled and looked up at him as he climbed out of the car. "I feel honoured." ****  
****

He locked the car and pushed the keys in the front pocket of his jeans, very aware of Sebastian's eyes following his every move. He ran his hand over his thigh to smooth out the pocket just because. ****  
****

"I may let you drive later," he added with a wink. ****  
****

Sebastian smirked. "I look forward to that," he said, only two-thirds occupied with their innuendo...the other part really just wanted to drive a car like that, just once. ****  
****

As they entered the restaurant, Sebastian braced himself. He had no idea what to expect, turning up at a public place with a celebrity. To his surprise, only very few people looked their way, and those who did lost interest fairly quickly. Sebastian was half-relieved, half-disappointed. Kurt was there as _his _ date, after all. ****  
****

They got a table for two in a nook by the window. A thin wooden panel separated their seating from a group of women sitting at the next table. They had cocktails in front of them and were giggling a lot. It looked like a bachelorette party. Sebastian hoped they'd leave soon. ****  
****

Kurt looked around the restaurant, impressed. It was light, spacious and well decorated with muted tones. Artwork hung on the walls and soft classical music was playing through speakers in each corner. ****  
****

"It's lovely!" Kurt said honestly. "I wish there'd been a place like this when I lived here." ****  
****

"Yeah, Breadstix is awful," Sebastian agreed. "I went there _once _, never again!" He pretended to shudder. "I'm just glad the Dalton cafeteria was good enough to eat there every day. There's some semi-decent take out places but I mostly just eat here or cook at home." ****  
****

Kurt raised his eyebrow. "You went to Dalton?" ****  
****

"Yeah, it's sort of a family tradition," Sebastian said. "I'm the only one who opened up a shop afterwards, though." He shook his head a little and grinned. "Sorry mom and dad." ****  
****

The voices at the table next to them raised in pitch and volume as all of them laughed at something. Sebastian frowned a little, but tried to pay it no further heed. ****  
****

A waiter approached their table, looking slightly harassed after passing the group of cackling women. ****  
****

"Are you ready to order?" ****  
****

They nodded and placed their orders. Kurt went for grilled salmon. It sounded delicious. Sebastian ordered lamb with rosemary potatoes. ****  
****

"I almost went to Dalton, you know." Kurt said after their waiter had left. "When the bullying at my school reached its peak, my dad offered to send me there." ****  
****

Sebastian looked up from his menu in surprise. "So why didn't you?" he asked. ****  
****

Kurt shrugged. "I knew my parents couldn't really afford it. They'd just gotten married and offered to use their honeymoon money, but I knew that that wouldn't cover the two years I had left. Plus we all really needed a vacation...and that turned out to be the right move. I entered one of those stupid open mic nights in the place we stayed at, and one of the guys from my record label heard and...that was it." ****  
****

"Wow..." Sebastian felt yet a little _more _ guilty for having enjoyed an education without actively using it to make something of himself, but he had to admire Kurt for the selfless act that had cost him his high school diploma. ****  
****

"That's pretty amazing," he admitted. "I mean: not that you couldn't go, but that it lead to your big break..." ****  
****

He put on a grin. "Who knows, maybe I should have dropped out as well and entered a modeling contest..." He winked and struck a pose. ****  
****

Kurt grinned. Sebastian would have made an _excellent _ model, but he wasn't about to give him that point for free. "You wouldn't have fit through any of the doors with that big head," he teased. ****  
****

Sebastian laughed. "If you think my head is big, wait till you see the rest of me," he countered smugly. ****  
****

Next to them, the women laughed as well, which almost sounded like a mocking commentary on his brag. ****  
****

Kurt ignored the women and focused on his new friend. "I look forward to it," he said, batting his eyelashes. ****  
****

He _liked _ Sebastian. Being with him was easy and uncomplicated - unlike a lot of other things in his life at the moment. Sebastian was able to keep up with Kurt's witty tongue, and gave back as good as he got. But there was a vulnerability to him too, a softness that made Kurt want to delve deeper and really learn who Sebastian Smythe was...and protect him, whatever the cost. ****  
****

"Oh yeah?" Sebastian replied, pulling Kurt back from his thoughts. "Well, I can't wait to-" ****  
****

"Fuck, Marry, Kill!" One of the women shouted from the other table, and the others cheered. ****  
****

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "It's not usually so loud here," he started apologising. ****  
****

Kurt shook his head, "They're having fun - and it'll be interesting to hear their options," he said with a wink. ****  
****

Sebastian couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face, Kurt just got more and more interesting as the night wore on. ****  
****

"Okay," one of the women said. "Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt and Chris Evans." Sebastian's smirk's grew and he raised his eyebrows. "Tough choice," he whispered. ****  
****

Kurt grinned. "I'd definitely marry Hemsworth," he whispered back. "And I'd fuck Evans, for sure." ****  
****

Sebastian pursed his lips and nodded thoughtfully. "But it wouldn't be easy to kill Pratt now that he got so fit..." he pondered. "I would just convince them to a foursome." ****  
****

Kurt laughed lightly and dipped his drink. "See, even now he's ripped, I don't particularly find Pratt appealing. I mean he's _cute _, and is actually a really lovely person in real life...but I couldn't sleep with him. Now...being the filling between an Evans and Hemsworth sandwich...hell yes." ****  
****

He waggled his eyebrows. "Let's hear what they come up with next." ****  
****

"No, wait, you _know _ him?" Sebastian asked, suddenly realising who he was talking to. "Seriously?" ****  
****

Kurt nodded. "Yeah, I met him at the premier for _Guardians of the Galaxy _ and ended up at the same after party. Tell you what, that man can _drink _." ****  
****

Sebastian stared at him for a moment. "So...who else…" He went through a list of famous people in his mind. Who would _he _like to meet? "Have you met the Queer Eye guys? Oh my _god _!" Another, even _better _ thought struck him. "Do you know Jeff Goldblum?!" ****  
****

Kurt grinned. "I met Tan and Antoni at Pride last year, they're good fun and apparently they like my music...but I don't know Mr Goldblum. I don't know if I could meet him, honestly, I think I'd die from happiness, or embarrassment." He laughed. "Meeting Lady Gaga was bad enough...I _bowed. _" ****  
****

Sebastian snorted. "She's probably used to that," he offered, then cocked his head. ****  
****

"So what's the weirdest thing anyone has ever done meeting you? Apart from asking what you do for a living, like Alex did?" ****  
****

"Someone almost ran me over once," Kurt said. ****  
****

Sebastian stared at him in shock. ****  
****

Kurt nodded, pausing his story as the waiter brought out their food. ****  
****

"Yeah," he continued once the waiter was gone. "I was crossing a side road in New York one evening. A car had stopped to let me cross and I held my hand up in thanks and smiled, and she recognised me and must have panicked because she slammed her foot on the gas and almost mowed me down." ****  
****

"Oh my god!" Sebastian let out. "I never realised how dangerous it can be not to know how people are going to react to you..." He shook his head. "That's crazy...Suddenly being a shopkeeper sounds like a wise and safe job. I should remind my parents." ****  
****

Kurt shrugged. "The good outweighs the bad, and it wasn't her fault. I think she genuinely just put her foot on the wrong pedal. Most of my fans are lovely." ****  
****

Sebastian smiled. He doubted if Kurt would ever say a single bad word about his fans. He really cared for them a lot, and seemed to be very aware of the fact that it was them who made him who he was. ****  
****

He breathed in deeply and suddenly realised their food was waiting for them. He looked down at his plate. "This looks amazing. Well, apart from the salad, which Olli always makes me eat, no matter what I order here. He probably has a mugshot of me up in the kitchen to remind people to serve me rabbit food." ****  
****

Kurt raised his eyebrow. "You don't like salad?" ****  
****

Sebastian faked a shudder. "Not really, no," he replied. "I mean, I can eat the green stuff but tomatoes is where I draw the line. Yech. Even though they are _incredibly _nutritious. According to Olli anyway." ****  
****

He blanched as he heard himself talk and offered Kurt an awkward smile. He hoped hadn't crossed the line. Was it weird that he talked about his ex so freely? ****  
****

"I'm not as whipped as I sound! Olli mothers all of us, he's always on Alice's case as well. It's not a...it's a friends thing, not a _boyfriend _ thing. Because he really is my _ ex. _ I mean, he's married." ****  
****

Kurt smiled. "It's nice that you're still close like that...I've never had an _amicable _ break-up before so I don't know what it's like." ****  
****

Sebastian swallowed, feeling like the stakes had suddenly been raised a little. "It...took us a while," he admitted. "But I am glad we are friends now." ****  
****

He thought about Kurt's predicament. "It must be difficult for you," he offered. "In the public eye, I mean. The tabloids always love a juicy break-up." ****  
****

Kurt nodded as he chewed his food, taking the moment to formulate his answer. "It is...tough," he said honestly. "I can never grieve in peace. Any time I get my heart broken, it's splashed across the news and social media. That's the thing I hate most about my job...the paps. If I break up with someone and I'm sad it's ' _he's doing terribly _' and if I'm seen to be happy it's _'cold as ice, does nothing faze him? _" ****  
****

He shook his head. ****  
****

"The worst was when my brother died..." Kurt looked down at his food, frowning a little. "They were relentless." ****  
****

Sebastian studied him for a moment, feeling his heart break a little at the expression on Kurt's face. "What happened?" he asked quietly. ****  
****

Kurt shook his head again. "I don't wanna talk about it," he said. "Not tonight, I'm sorry." ****  
****

He glanced at Sebastian's side salad. "If you really hate tomatoes I'll eat the salad for you - just don't tell Olli," he said, as a way to deflect from the conversation. ****  
****

Sebastian breathed out in a huff, more than a little relieved for the out. ****  
****

He knew he could probably google what happened to Kurt's brother - and Kurt would know it too. Sebastian wished he could tell Kurt he _wouldn't _, but the topic was closed for now, and he realised belatedly it had been very inappropriate to ask in the first place. ****  
****

"It'll be our secret," he said solemnly, before sliding his salad over to Kurt with a smile. "And consider me in your debt." He winked. ****  
****

Kurt smirked back. "Oh definitely. If there's ever another spare brownie, it's mine no matter what your sob story." He grinned and winked. ****  
****

Sebastian offered him his open palms. "You'll be welcome to it," he promised, and with some consternation, noticed he had to hold himself back from inviting Kurt to have more that belonged to him. ****  
****

_What is wrong with you? _He asked himself. _He's still going to go back to LA or New York or where ever - that other brownie will never happen...if you're lucky, you might _get _lucky- but that's it. That's all he'll want from you. _****  
****

Sebastian shook himself out of his thoughts. "The rest of my food is really good," he commented, nodding at his lamb roast and potatoes. ****  
****

Kurt looked down at his own dinner. It was delicious. "Mine too!" heagreed. ****  
****

They smiled at each other and ate in silence for a bit, both a little unsure on how to start a new topic. Kurt thought back over the last time he'd dined out in Lima. The experiences were complete polar opposites. ****  
****

Sebastian watched Kurt for a while. He seemed pensive, and Sebastian found himself thinking of things to say to distract him and make him smile again. ****  
****

It had been a while since he'd tried to make such an effort outside of his small group of friends - maybe even a first. ****  
****

He adjusted his glasses and his eye caught on a speck of glitter on his fingers. There it was: a random topic. "I swear my roommate's glitter addiction is worse than herpes. It gets _everywhere _ and you can never get rid of it completely." ****  
****

Kurt blinked, a little surprised. He chuckled. "Tell me about it. It's the one thing I hate about touring. Glitter shows up on stage so it's good for the fans at the back. But the showers in my bus aren't great and even months later I'll still find glitter in my hair. And other places." ****  
****

Sebastian laughed, suddenly regretting that he'd never seen Kurt sing live - and having difficulty not trying to imagine where else Kurt might be hiding stray glitter. ****  
****

The previous tension was broken and the main course was a success. Of course, if anyone asked Sebastian, all of it was just an appetiser for the cheese plate. Ollie's selection was the best in town, and the fig paste to go with it was made in house. It was amazing. ****  
****

"I can die happy now," Sebastian announced, sitting back in his seat. He had eaten most of it on his own, though Kurt had tried a few kinds as well. ****  
****

Kurt looked at the wooden platter in front of his date. ****  
****

"It sure was a lot of cheese," he said in awe. "I didn't think we'd be able to finish it." ****  
****

Sebastian smiled. "Yeah. It seemed a shame to give it back...I really like cheese." ****  
****

"I can tell," Kurt said amused. ****  
****

Kurt liked cheese, he always had done. If he ever went to a dinner party and someone served cheese afterwards, he'd count the night as a win. ****  
****

However, he'd never met _anyone _who liked cheese as much as Sebastian did. _Like _was an understatement. . Sebastian _loved _it. He ate it with such reverence, savouring every bite that it almost felt like Kurt was intruding on something private - and the noises Sebastian made while he ate it - well, let's just say Kurt hoped he wouldn't have to stand up for a while. ****  
****

A volley of laughter started up at the table next to them again. The bachelorette party was also done with their meal, and had picked up their raunchy game again. Sated with cheese, Sebastian was able to ignore them- until a familiar name dropped. ****  
****

"Okay, okay: Kurt Hummel, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber. Go!" ****  
****

Sebastian shot Kurt a look and made a 'yikes' expression as the women wolf whistled loudly. ****  
****

Before he could say anything, the woman whose challenge it was said loudly: "Well, kill Justin Bieber of course, that little shit. And marry Bruno, because he 'loves me just the way I am'..." ****  
****

The others cheered and whooped. ****  
****

"That leaves Kurt Hummel...hell yes! I mean, have you _seen _ that package? That guy is _hung. _" ****  
****

Sebastian's eyes went wide. ****  
****

Kurt sighed inwardly and shifted a little uncomfortably in his seat. It was another downside of fame. Anyone had an opinion. Every single aspect of his life was scrutinised - even what he had in his pants. Kurt caught Sebastian's eye and shrugged in a 'what can you do?' kind of way. ****  
****

"Too bad he's gay though," another woman commented. "So if you want to fuck him you'd better strap up." ****  
****

"Oh yeah, his whole walk just _screams _ bottom," another remarked. ****  
****

Sebastian sat up, hitting his knee up against the table and cursing under his breath. The laughter that followed made up his mind. He started getting up. ****  
****

"Don't," Kurt started, but Sebastian shook his head. This wasn't just for Kurt, but for him and Ollie and the rest of their community. ****  
****

Sebastian swiftly rounded the separation between their tables. ****  
****

"Excuse me," he started, "sorry to interrupt your little party here, but we couldn't help but overhear your conversation." ****  
****

"And?" the cheekiest of the women asked, leering at him. "You wanna play?" ****  
****

"He's cute! Buy him a drink!"'one of the others suggested jovially. ****  
****

" _And _: the way you were talking about Kurt Hummel is disgusting. It is absolutely none of your business-" ****  
****

"Oh, honey, will you relax? It's just a game." ****  
****

"Famous people are human beings," Sebastian argued, but it was absolutely pointless. ****  
****

"Yeah, human beings we want to fuck, marry and kill!" one of the women said cheerfully. The others hooted. ****  
****

Sebastian frowned, feeling frustrated. He wanted to tell them _exactly _ what he thought of them, but he didn't want to embarrass Kurt or draw attention to him, and he also didn't want to make a scene in Oliver's restaurant. ****  
****

Whilst Sebastian was distracted Kurt took enough money out of his wallet to settle the bill and added a generous tip. ****  
****

"I think this one has the hots for Hummel," one of the women commented. "Don't worry, baby, I'm sure it's the more the merrier in _his _ bedroom-" ****  
****

"Oh, it is," Kurt agreed, speaking up from behind Sebastian as he rounded the partition. "But only if you have the matching parts." ****  
****

He smiled sweetly at the women, who had all gone quiet and were staring at him with huge eyes. Kurt took Sebastian's arm. ****  
****

"Don't mind my friend here," Kurt added. "He's new to showbiz, and he doesn't yet realise our lives are like porn to women like you, whose only representation in your partners' fantasies involve niche entertainment and school girl uniforms. Have a nice evening, now." ****  
****

With that, he lead Sebastian out of the restaurant, needing to get out of there before the women fully understood what he had just said.


	6. Tip Your Driver

"I still can't believe I said that to those women," Kurt said as they walked out of the cinema a few hours later. The movie had successfully distracted Kurt from over thinking his actions, but as soon as the end credits started rolling it all came back and Kurt's brain went into overdrive.

It had hardly been the worst thing he'd overheard people say about him. His entire life, people had made assumptions and speculated about aspects of his life, and putting himself into the spotlight with his music had done nothing but amplify it.

Normally, he would have ignored it and left the situation. It was just easier that way. But after Sebastian had gotten involved, he hadn't been able to stop himself. Not that he blamed Sebastian for standing up for him! If Kurt was honest with himself, it had felt _ really _ good. It was nice to have someone feel indignant on his behalf. It had been a long time.

That still didn't make what Kurt had said a good thing.

Sebastian chuckled. "Neither can they." He glanced at Kurt from the side. "It was awesome."

Kurt pulled up the corner of his mouth and shook his head. "I can't do stuff like that anymore. They are gonna talk, blog, tweet about it, and it'll just blow out of proportion. Buzzfeed will pick it up, maybe Fox- and then it's all _'Arrogant Kurt Hummel out of control - harassing women at a restaurant!'_

"But _ they _ were the ones-" Sebastian started. Kurt cut him off.

"I know - but they love a juicy story better than the truth." He put a hand on Sebastian's arm. "Anything you ever read about me...take it with a pinch of salt okay?"

Sebastian swallowed and nodded. "Is it really that bad?"

Kurt let his hand fall from Sebastian's arm and nodded. "No one tells you this sort of thing when you start out...I mean, not in so many words." He shrugged. "You hear other artists complain about not having a private life, but you think they're just exaggerating - or that it won't happen to you...and then it does, and you think, _ ah shit, I should have listened."_

"I'm sorry," Sebastian offered. "That has to suck."

Kurt shrugged. "It's the price I pay, I guess."

They reached Kurt's car. Sebastian remembered his promise from earlier. "So...do I get to drive?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Kurt smirked and rolled his eyes a little, fondly. "If you must."

He held up the keys and dropped them into Sebastian's hand. "Don't scratch her."

"I'll be gentle," Sebastian promised. They settled into the car and Sebastian adjusted the position of his seat and mirrors.

"So...your place, then?" he tried to ask neutrally.

Kurt raised an eyebrow to him and smirked. "Unless you're offering me something different?"

Sebastian smiled. "Well, there's _ my _ place," he suggested. "Which has the advantage of _ not _ having your dad in the next room?"

Kurt looked at Sebastian for a moment, his eyes raking over his long, lean frame. What he wouldn't give to be reckless, take Sebastian up on his offer and go back to his apartment...but the risk was just too high. What if someone saw them? He couldn't afford the scandal, not on top of what he had already stirred up in Ohio this week.

Kurt sighed wistfully. "Too-" he started.

"Complicated, I get it," Sebastian finished. He nodded in resignation. "Maison Hummel it is," he said, starting the engine. _ Can't blame a guy for trying,_ he mused. He had noticed Kurt's hesitation, and that had to be enough of a compliment - he didn't want to be the guy who pushed.

He parked Kurt's car in front of the house and quickly rounded it to open the passenger door. "It's a beautiful car," he offered, holding out the keys.

Kurt climbed out and let Sebastian close the door behind him. "It is," he said quietly. He stepped forward and took the keys from his date, not moving out of his space once he'd done so.

"Matches its owner," Sebastian said smoothly. _ Gorgeous, expensive, and wildly out of place in Lima, Ohio,_ he added in his mind. _ Also a million miles out of my reach._

Kurt grinned, warmth spreading through his body. He leaned closer, licked his lips and paused. Then, with a husky voice and a twinkle in his eyes, replied: "Thanks. I'll make sure to pass your compliments to my dad."

Sebastian winced and closed his eyes. A soft groan escaped his lips. "Damn, I'm sorry. I meant-" he started, but Kurt shook his head.

"I know," he offered, amused by how easy it was to keep Sebastian on his toes. He looked up into Sebastian's eyes and was startled at how bright they were under the light of the moon. _Damn,_ he thought. _ Here I go again. _ He took a deep breath. "You wanna come in?"

Sebastian's heart picked up pace and he licked his lips. "Yes, I do." He hesitated. "If it's not too...complicated?"

Kurt ran his finger down Sebastian's arm and felt the shiver that ran through his body. "It _ is,"_ he whispered. "But..." his eyes flicked down to Sebastian's lips and back up to his eyes. "Screw complicated."

He felt Sebastian lean closer; his breath mingled with Kurt's in the space between them and Kurt pressed up onto his tiptoes to close the gap.

Kissing Kurt again was as amazing as it had been the first time - maybe even more, because this time, Sebastian was prepared for it. He kissed him passionately._ Screw complicated _ indeed - they'd figure it out in the morning.

From the corner of his eye, Sebastian saw a light come on in the hallway behind Kurt's door, and quickly straightened away.

"Um, is your dad home?" he asked.

"I don't think so, he said he was going to-" Kurt broke off when the door opened. "Blaine?"

"Kurt! There you are!" a dark-haired man with big eyebrows and a mustard-coloured vest at least two sizes too small let out. He stepped outside and opened his arms theatrically. "How about a hug for your soulmate?"

Kurt felt ice trickle down his back and he stepped away from Sebastian.

"Um, hello," he stammered as Blaine swept him up in a hug. Kurt looked at Sebastian over Blaine's shoulder, his eyes wide in shock. The look on Sebastian's face broke a little something inside Kurt's chest. He longed to explain, to apologise, to deter Sebastian away from all the horrible scenarios he must be concocting in his head - but it was like his mind had gone blank as soon as Blaine had appeared. Still, he had to try.

As soon as Blaine let him go, He opened his mouth to explain, but before he could say anything, Blaine did.

"Hi there!" he said to Sebastian in a chipper voice, offering him a smarmy smile. "It's not every day you get a celebrity in your Uber in _ Ohio,_ huh?" He glanced down the street. "Where's your car?"

Sebastian cleared his throat. The other man made his hackles rise, but one look at Kurt's deer-in-the-headlights expression made up his mind. "Down the street," he said quietly.

"So did he pay you yet? Or were you waiting for an autograph?"

"Blaine," Kurt said in an annoyed voice. "Don't be rude."

"I'm _ not _ being rude, I just want to know why this stranger is standing on your front lawn gaping at us. Tell you what honey, take a picture, tag us on twitter and we'll _ both _ retweet it."

Kurt gaped at Blaine. Kurt was not a violent man, but right now, he really wanted to hit him; or put him in his place like he had the women at the restaurant. But humiliating him wouldn't end well. Blaine's temper was volatile at best, and there was no telling how he would react. Experience held Kurt back.

"That's ok, I'm just gonna go," Sebastian said, stepping back, but Blaine was already reaching for his wallet.

He pulled out a few bills and thrust them at Sebastian. "Could you do me a huge favour? Drive up for a few pizzas and bring them back over? Knowing Kurt he probably skipped dinner again."

Blaine slapped Kurt's ass. "Don't want the paps to say _'there goes that famous YouTuber with his manorexic boyfriend'!"_ He chuckled at his own joke.

Kurt closed his eyes, feeling humiliated. "Blaine," he whispered. "It's not his job to deliver pizza." He couldn't look at Sebastian.

"Why not? This town is tiny, it's not like it's far," Blaine said, shrugging carelessly. "I gave him a tip!"

"Anything to get a good Uber rating," Sebastian said dully, feeling hollow. _ Complicated, huh? No shit._

He looked at Kurt. He looked miserable - but was that because they got interrupted, or because he nearly got caught?

Sebastian nodded, resigning himself to his fate as underpaid pizza courier to the stars, and started walking to his car. _ I hope you enjoy cold pizza,_ he thought vengefully, not completely sure if he meant Blaine or Kurt.

Kurt felt something clench tightly in his chest. "No, honestly, please don't," he cried. "We can order our own pizza!"

Sebastian turned around mid-walk and held up the money. "I'm keeping this either way," he said, "so it's your choice, Mr Hummel. Do you want me to come back or not?"

He knew it wasn't fair, but neither was this whole situation.

"Sebastian," Kurt whispered and switched to French, hoping Sebastian had picked up enough of the language in his summer holidays. _ 'I'm sorry, I can explain!'_

_ 'I think I got the picture, but thanks anyway,' _Sebastian replied, and walked away.

* * *

As Sebastian slammed the door on his way into the apartment, Elliott sat up with a yelp. He looked up from his work, sticking a bleeding finger into his mouth. His sewing materials were strewn over the table and the needle he'd been threading fell to the floor.

"What's going on?" Elliott said, his voice slightly muffled. He popped his finger out from his lips. "Date didn't go so well?"

Sebastian shrugged and let himself drop down on the couch. "It went great - right up to the part where his boyfriend showed up."

Elliott screwed up his nose. "Owch."

"Yeah," Sebastian agreed, not ready to tell him the rest of it, or who he'd been with. He glanced at the newspaper peeking out from underneath Elliott's work. Kurt's name caught his eye from the charts list.

He sighed. "Ells, you're up to date with the whole gay celebs world, right?"

Elliott frowned. "I'd like to think so, why?"

"Who is Kurt Hummel dating?"

Elliott looked into a blank space for a moment as he thought. "Some YouTuber called Blaine Anderson, I think. At least he was last time I checked."

Sebastian's heart sank a little. "Yeah…" he said vaguely. "No idea who that is."

Elliott rolled his eyes and waved his friend over. "Honestly," he said in a tone of fond exasperation. "How you call yourself a millennial, I have no idea."

Sebastian shrugged. "I am broke and I like avocado toast?" he tried, and walked over to Elliott, who had pulled out his cellphone.

Elliott patted his friend on the head as he sat down and shook his head. "Come, my young padawan, and let me teach you a thing."

He opened the YouTube app on his phone and typed in Blaine's YouTube handle.

"He was this weird bowtie wearing nobody until about...3 or 4 years ago?" Elliott explained as he scrolled through Blaine's videos. "He's a few years younger than Kurt and...was clearly a fanboy."

He noticed Sebastian look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You remember that song _ 'boys will be boys' _from Kurt's first album?" Elliott hummed the melody. It was a catchy, fast-paced song.

Sebastian nodded in recognition. It had been on the radio for weeks a few years back.

"Well, when Blaine's original music wasn't getting many hits, he decided to do a cover of it on his channel, but he slowed it way down and did it acoustic. It went viral overnight."

Elliott clicked the video and held it up for Sebastian to watch.

"What the hell is he wearing?" Sebastian muttered. He listened to Blaine introduce his video and frowned. "Zap to the song? I don't really wanna hear about his bow tie collection or his love for Roxy Music-"

Elliott swiped the video to the part where Blaine started strumming his guitar.

Sebastian waited to be blown away. Nothing happened. He knew he was biased and kind of intent on hating the guy, but surely this wasn't _ that _ good? Why would it go viral?

"This has nothing to do with Kurt's original song," he stated. "He makes it sound like a generic Ed Sheeran song. A _ hung-over _Ed Sheeran. Who can't decide if he needs to cry, or pee."

"I know, right?" Elliott agreed. "No idea why it got so many hits, he never did it for me - I like a good bow tie as much as the next gay guy...but I could never take someone who wears primal colours seriously. Also his _ hair_. Imagine trying to run your hands through _ that _ in the throes of love making." Elliott shuddered.

"But all the teenie bopper fangirls wet their knickers over him and propelled him to Internet fame," Elliott continued his lesson in fan lore. "He was more accessible to them, I guess. Less _ out there. _ Like, gay, but in a 'best friend who gives you makeovers' kind of way. Or like, maybe he could be 'converted' if only he met the right girl, aka _ them."_ He rolled his eyes. "He encouraged it, too, saying shit like 'never say never' to wind them up. _ Ugh."_

Sebastian twisted his lips. Fanservice was one thing, but that was just gross.

"He started doing weekly cover videos and then someone started a petition to get Kurt and him to collaborate and...apparently it worked," Elliott continued. "Why Kurt ended up with the guy, I have no idea. He always seemed like a man with good taste."

Sebastian thought about it. Maybe they had clicked _ artistically. _ Blaine had said they were _ soulmates. _

Sebastian sighed. He had never played an instrument in his life - despite his parents' desperate attempts to get him into violin lessons when he was a child. He'd never so much as created a YouTube Account - let alone a channel. He had never created anything. Suddenly he wondered what _ he _ had to offer Kurt, except maybe a better sense of dressing like an adult and better grooming. An evening of entertainment before going back to his real life?

He wasn't sure why that stung so much (wasn't that exactly what he picked up guys from the club for?), but it did. Suddenly his evening felt ridiculous. Trying to impress Kurt at dinner, opening car doors...who had he been kidding? The guy had a boyfriend, and he'd only been after one thing.

"I don't know how serious they are though," Elliott said, pulling Sebastian back into the conversation. "Or if they're even still together...Blaine isn't exactly the monogamous type."

Sebastian's eyes went wide. He'd understand Kurt having guys on the side - he'd almost been one, himself - but _ that _ guy?

Elliott hastened to explain.

"Maybe I'm wrong! But there have been loads of pictures of him out with other guys, clubbing and dancing and...stuff. Most of Kurt's fans hate Blaine, but unfortunately he has enough fans of his own by now to still make him 'relevant'."

Sebastian shook his head in disbelief. _ Soulmates,_ right. Who cheated on their soulmate?

"Why do assholes always get the guy," he mumbled.

"Don't I know it," Elliott said with a sigh. "Here, look at this one."

He clicked a related video that was a compilation of pictures with Kurt and Blaine together, clearly edited by a fan, with rotating pink hearts and one of Blaine's cheezy ballad covers in the background. Their beaming smiles and polished looks in the press pictures were a crass contrast to the candids, where Kurt rarely smiled. A picture appeared with Blaine sporting an unkempt beard.

"Whenever Blaine's not on tour or accompanying Kurt to some event, the guy practically looks like a hobo. It's hard to believe he actually finds candidates to stray with. And honestly, if _ you _ had someone like Kurt, would you let him go, like, ever?"

"I guess not," Sebastian said sullenly.

Elliott squinted a little and surveyed his friend. "Why are you so interested in him all of a sudden anyway? You've never shown interest in an 'unobtainable' before...Oh my god. Is this your first celebrity crush?"

He cooed a little and patted Sebastian's arm. "I get it, honey. Dreams are _ nice_. But it's not like people like you and I have a chance with someone like Kurt...he lives thousands of miles away. Literally and figuratively."

Sebastian shook his head and took off his glasses to rub a hand over his face, stalling. "I know, I know."

He pulled up his shoulders and batted his eyelashes at Elliott. "Maybe I just wanted to share a gossip girl moment with you..."

Elliott snorted and bumped his shoulder. "I'll gossip girl with you any day, darling."

Sebastian smirked.

"What we need," Elliott decided, "is a good old fashioned boys' night. We both need to get some. We can be each other's wing men. Tomorrow night? You in?"

Sebastian considered it. There was really no point in sitting around thinking about what might have been.

"Sure, I guess...yeah. Why not," he decided. The sooner he got over this thing, the better.


	7. Love Is Blind

**MAY**

"What time did you tell Seb to get here?" Adrian said to Oliver as he stepped into their bedroom after his shower.

Oliver looked up from his phone to reply but was caught by the sight of his naked husband. He watched as a drop of water trickled down Adrian's chest and licked his lips.

Adrian cleared his throat, startling Oliver back to attention.

Oliver coughed a little at the smirk it got him. It wasn't _ his _ fault his man was sexy.

"Focus, Olli," Adrian reprimanded him.

"Right," Oliver said shaking his head. "Seven. Dinner will be ready about half past…"

"Okay." Adrian dried himself down with a towel, looking through the shirts in his closet as he did. Settling on a red long sleeve button down, he dropped the towel and pulled the shirt off its hanger. He looked at his reflection in the mirror as he shrugged it on and his eyes caught Oliver's over his shoulder.

"What is it?" he asked quietly. He turned around to face his husband, who was no longer ogling him but looking pensive instead.

"I'm really worried about him, Ade," Oliver admitted.

Adrian frowned and walked over. The buttons on his cuffs were still undone and Oliver gestured for him to hold out his arms. The buttons were fiddly and Adrian never managed on his own.

"Steph said he's not been at the shop all week," Oliver added, deftly buttoning one cuff, then waving his hand for Adrian to hold out the other side. "And Marc said he saw him stumble out of Scandals the other night sandwiched between _ two _ guys..."

Adrian pursed his lips. "Well, he's always been a bit of a player," he mused. "Him bringing a date here was the actual abnormality."

Oliver looked at Adrian and frowned, dropping his hands in his lap. "He wasn't always."

Adrian paused. "Maybe you two were the other abnormality," he said reluctantly, then sighed and knelt in front of him, taking his hands.

"I know you care about him, Olli. I do, too. So if you want to talk to him about it tonight I'll back you up." He offered his husband a smile. "Besides, no man should have more than _ one _guy, it's unfair." He winked.

Oliver smirked and let out a chuckle.

He _ did _ care about Sebastian. A break-up had hurt them both and it had taken a long time to get over it and get to where they were now. Besides Adrian, Sebastian was his best friend, and always would be. Oliver hated seeing him like this.

"I just feel guilty," he said softly, raising Adrian's hands to his lips and placing a kiss on them. "I found you, and I love you more than anything...and he's still alone. I thought it was a rebound phase at first, but it's been five years and he still hasn't settled down. I guess, with the arrival of Kurt, I'd hoped that that might finally be changing."

He knew that Sebastian wasn't harbouring any secret feelings for him anymore, but it still made Oliver feel incredibly guilty that he _ had _ moved on.

Adrian nodded. "I understand. But that thing with Kurt? I mean, I liked him a lot, but I think we all knew it wasn't gonna work, right?" He shook his head. "Sebastian would be better off with someone local."

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, I guess...We should talk to him. I hate the idea that he's hurting."

Adrian nodded and pushed himself up from his knees to kiss him. "We will."

"Thanks," Oliver said with a smile. "Now hurry up and put your pants on so I can concentrate on the chicken."

* * *

Sebastian rang the doorbell and laughed a little as he heard Mr Pup yap happily, skidding across the laminate flooring. He laughed louder when he heard the telltale thud as dog met wood. As he waited for one of his friends to answer, he let his eyes go out of focus. He was _ so _ tired. The past few days had gone by in a blur, and having to get up out of bed before sundown seemed like torture.

The door opened and he blinked, pulling himself out of his thoughts. "Hey!" he mustered, smiling at Oliver.

"Hey you, come in," Oliver said, moving aside to make room. He watched critically as Sebastian walked into the hallway, checking him over. Mr. Pup took one sniff at his legs, growled a little, and turned around to trot back inside. Sebastian looked pale and had dark circles under his eyes. As he took off his jacket, Oliver could see faint red marks standing out on the back of his neck where his shoulder began. He could only hope Sebastian was being safe.

"Thanks. And thanks for the invite." Sebastian hadn't had much else than bar food all week. A healthy, home-cooked meal could be just what he needed.

"You're always welcome here Seb, you know that." Oliver held out his hand towards the living room invitingly. "Go sit down. You want something to drink?" _ like water? _he added in his head.

"Thanks, maybe a beer?" Sebastian said. "Or, whatever you think fits with dinner, I'm not picky."

_ No, that much is obvious,_ Oliver thought bitterly, and nodded in resignation.

"Hey Seb," Adrian called out from the kitchen. "What's up?"

Sebastian shrugged. "Nothing much."

Adrian shared a look with Oliver as he wheeled into the kitchen and he shook his head. He put some ice into a tall glass and filled it with cold, filtered water from the fridge.

"Here," he said, rolling back and handing it to Sebastian. "We'll have white wine with dinner, I've done a chicken."

"That sounds great," Sebastian said, taking the water and setting it down without drinking. "I'm getting a little tired of burgers and pizza..."

Adrian snorted, joining them. "You should talk to Alex sometime, I'm pretty sure that's all he ever eats!"

Sebastian smirked. "Yeah, he killed his taste buds loooong ago." He sat down. "So, what's new with you guys?"

Oliver glanced at the untouched water and sighed. At least he was receptive to decent food.

"Nothing much, there's a new waiter at work who looks a bit like Kit Harrington."

Sebastian curved an eyebrow and smirked. "Really? That sounds interesting."

"If you're _ single,"_ Adrian added, giving Oliver a pointed look.

Oliver held up his palms. "Hey, I'm the head chef, you know I would never abuse my position like that!"

Adrian blew him a kiss.

Sebastian watched the exchange between them and his smile fell a little. There had been a time where anything as couple-y as that made him cringe, but as he got older, he did sometimes wonder if he'd ever have something like that again.

Oliver noticed and felt his heart clench. They had agreed to wait until dinner before talking to Sebastian, but seeing him look so forlorn and unkempt was killing him. "Seb...what's going on? You look awful."

Sebastian frowned. "I'm just tired," he protested, rubbing the back of his neck. "It got a little late last night."

"And the nights before?" Adrian added gently.

Sebastian shrugged. "So? I'm a grown man, I don't have a curfew."

"No, you don't," Oliver agreed. "But as you said, you _ are _ an adult and you have responsibilities. Steph said you've not been at the shop all week - have you been clubbing _ every _ night?"

Sebastian shrugged again. "Yeah, me and Elliott have been hanging out a bit, he's in between jobs and I took a week off. Steph can handle the shop on her own."

"So are you going back next week, then?" Adrian asked carefully.

Sebastian paused. "I guess," he said reluctantly. "Look, what do you want from me? I'm just trying to have some fun. Should I stay at home and knit sweaters?"

"No Sebastian, that's not what we're saying," Oliver replied, a little irritated. "But Marc said you left the club with _ two _guys and-"

Sebastian let out a huff of breath. "So what, you think just because you're married now, you get to slutshame me? Should I remind you of how_ you and I _ met?"

"No, that's not-" Oliver broke off in frustration. "Sebastian, we're worried about you. Is that so hard to understand? There's a difference between partying and recklessness. We don't want you to get hurt." He sighed. "I mean, you look like you haven't slept in days. What's going _ on _ with you? And when was the last time you had a decent meal?"

Sebastian shrugged. He knew the answer - his date with Kurt - but he didn't feel like admitting it. If he did, he'd have to tell them the rest and he really didn't want to do that.

"It was Elliott's turn to buy food this week," he hedged.

"Well, if he's dragging you to the club every night, I doubt grocery shopping is on his mind much," Adrian mumbled.

"He's not _ dragging _ me!" Sebastian protested. "In fact, he's the one who keeps breaking up the party and putting us in a cab home before closing time like some glittery-ass babysitter…"

Oliver and Adrian exchanged a look. At least someone was being responsible, then.

"Are the two of you...sort of dating?" Adrian asked.

Sebastian frowned. "Me and Ells? No! No way. He is _ not _my type."

"Not like ...Kurt?" Oliver asked carefully. "You never actually told us what happened on your date..."

Sebastian sighed. _ Looks like you'll have to tell them after all, _ he said to stared ahead at his glass of water. Drops of condensation were running down the sides.

"Nothing happened," he said finally. "Dinner was great, as it always is at your restaurant, we saw a movie, it was nice...I drove him home, we kissed, he invited me back up-"

Adrian breathed in sharply. Sebastian kept his eyes firmly on his glass.

"...then his _ boyfriend _ came walking out of the house, handed me some money for my 'Uber services' and I left."

"His _ what?"_ Oliver and Adrian said together, completely in shock.

Sebastian looked up at Oliver. "His boyfriend, whom he had never mentioned before. He seemed a bit shocked to see the guy in Ohio- I guess it was a surprise visit."

Sebastian clenched his jaw for a moment, then shrugged it off. "I guess he thought he could get away with it without his boyfriend finding out." He forced a smile. "It's ok, it's not like I've never been the _ guy on the side _ before. It's just that usually, I am informed about it."

"That's a really shitty thing to do!" Adrian said. "He didn't seem like the kind of person to be like that! What an ass!"

Oliver ignored Adrian's rant and wheeled over to Sebastian, reaching for his hand.

"I'm really sorry, Seb."

"Yeah, well...it was pretty surreal to begin with anyway," Sebastian admitted.

"You had no idea that he had a boyfriend?" Oliver asked carefully.

Sebastian shook his head. "Apparently_ everyone _ knows because they are, like, this American Dream couple, the guy started out as a fan and then he hooked up with Kurt and now he's famous too."

_ Famous enough to have guys on the side too, _ he added bitterly in his mind. _ They belonged together - both cheaters. Or maybe they had an open relationship and the romance story was just for the press? Either way- it didn't matter._

He looked at his friends and made up his mind. He was being stupid, and he knew it.

"I'm sorry I've been so dramatic about this. I'm moving on, okay? I'll call Steph and tell her I'm coming back in at work and I'll-" He hesitated. "I'll stick to the weekends for clubbing. It was getting expensive anyway."

Oliver wanted to press more, but experience of Sebastian's moods told him it was no good. He sighed and let a smirk spread across his face.

"Well, you always have been dramatic…"

"Yeah yeah," Sebastian agreed good-naturedly. "Just go on and feed me already. But quit with the water, OK? Can I have some of that wine you promised instead?"

Adrian chuckled. "He can't help himself," he told Sebastian.

"Well, forgive me for wanting my best friend to have something in his blood other than whiskey and burger grease!" Oliver picked up the glass and handed it to Sebastian. "Hydrate, for my sanity. _ Then _ you can have some wine."

Sebastian sighed theatrically. "Isn't it enough that you have your waiters bring me salads at your restaurant?" he complained. "At least I had Kurt to eat it for me last time."

_ Kurt. _ The memory hurt a little. He had been so kind and gentle, it really _ did _ seem out of character to set him up like that. _ Every man has his breaking point, _ Sebastian reminded himself. _ Maybe he just wanted to get even with Blaine._

To wash the bitter taste from his mouth, he raised the glass and drank it in three large gulps.

"You'd probably die of scurvy if I didn't," Oliver said. "You're getting two servings of vegetables tonight."

Satisfied that Sebastian had drunk something other than alcohol, he spun around and wheeled over to the kitchen to finish dinner.

**[Two weeks later]**

Sebastian walked up the path towards his friend's front door and smiled as he approached. He'd eaten with Oliver and Adrian twice more since their mini intervention - Oliver wasn't kidding when he said he wanted to make sure Sebastian was eating more than just burgers and junk food.

With his friends' help, Sebastian had finally shaken off the self-pity and ended his rebound bender (was it even really a rebound if they'd only been on one almost-platonic date?) and felt like he was finally back on track. Maybe Oliver would actually let him have a beer for his good behaviour this time.

He rang the bell and ran a hand through his hair, trying to look as kempt and responsible as possible.

Adrian opened the door and greeted his friend with a hug and a smile. "Hey man," he said, stepping back and letting Sebastian walk passed him. "How are you doing?"

He closed the door and turned to survey Sebastian. He looked good, much better than he had the last few times at any rate. He was almost back to his usual self.

"I'm ok, thanks," Sebastian said, and felt that he meant it too. "How about you guys?"

"Oh, same old," Adrian replied, though he looked slightly more pleased than usual. Maybe even a bit excited. "Oliver's inside, making sushi."

Sebastian smiled. He always liked it when Oliver handled his big knives. There was something dangerous about it - and something very sexy. Clearly Adrian liked it too.

"Let's go then, before it gets cold," Sebastian joked.

Adrian laughed and followed Sebastian into the open plan living room.

Oliver looked up from the salmon roll he was making and grinned at Sebastian, blowing him an air kiss.

"Hey, sorry, I'd offer you a proper greeting but my hands are covered in fish and rice."

"Yeah, I'll pass, thanks. I only have one clean shirt left and laundry day isn't until tomorrow," Sebastian joked idly.

There was something about the smell of cooking- even if it was fish- that instantly made him feel at home. He walked over to the kitchen counter and watched Oliver at work for a bit.

"Sometimes I wish I had learned an actual trade," he mused.

Oliver chuckled. "You were too busy rebelling against your parents." He smoothly rolled the sushi up into a long roll and pulled the mat away. He didn't have enough fingers on his hands to count the number of times he'd tried to teach Sebastian to cook, but he had never been able to get him to make anything more difficult than French toast.

He picked up his knife and quickly sliced the roll into perfectly even slices.

"You still could, you know. You're still young, and it's never too late to go back to school."

"Yeah, but you know I'm not really into effort," Sebastian countered, eyeing the salmon. "Plus, it's easier to come here and complain. Cheaper, too." He reached over and stole one of the rolls, popping it into his mouth.

"Watch it!" Adrian warned. "Do you know what he charges for these at the restaurant?"

"I do," Sebastian replied with his mouth full. "That's why I eat them here!"

Oliver swatted his hand away but couldn't hide the grin. "Make yourself useful and open a bottle of red. It needs to breathe before we drink it."

He slid the salmon rolls onto a plate and set them aside.

He picked up another dish that held prawns marinating in a sauce and wheeled over to the oven where a large deep frying pan was sizzling with oil. He tipped the contents of the bowl into the pan and grinned as a few flames flew up into the air.

"I never get tired of that," he said, taking hold of the pan and tossing it so that the prawns moved around the pan.

"Of what, showing off?" Sebastian pulled the cork from a bottle of wine and made a face at Adrian.

Adrian smirked. "You're certainly cheeky tonight," he commented. He handed Sebastian a decanter.

Sebastian shrugged and smirked a little as he poured the wine into the decanter. "I had a good week," he admitted. Sometimes, getting actual sleep _ did _ help.

"That's good," Oliver said with a cheeky smile of his own. "Because we have a little surprise for you and it wouldn't work if you're in one of your moods."

"One of my-" Sebastian started and paused his pouring as Oliver's words sunk in. While he was initially a little offended, Oliver knew him better than anyone and was probably right. But his words made him curious. "What kind of surprise?"

Oliver smirked and set the pan down. "You remember I mentioned our new waiter a few weeks ago? The hot one that looks like Kit Harrington?"

Sebastian swallowed and nodded.

"Weeeeellllll... I may, or may not, have invited him over for dinner too." Oliver flashed a grin at Sebastian and winked. "You're welcome."

Sebastian's eyes went wide. "For...?" He pointed at himself.

"Well not for _ me,"_ Adrian laughed. "I'm more of a Drogo guy."

"Mmm!" Oliver agreed. "I liked Martell. You know, before the _ thing."_ He took half a lime in his fist and squeezed it over the pan.

Sebastian considered it. "Well, I wouldn't mind me some King of the North, but...won't it be awkward for you? I mean, he's not just coming because his boss made him, right?"

Oliver smirked. "Oh no, I showed him your picture...he said you look like the guy on that CW show Flash? And seemed pretty in to it."

"Oh my god! I am so much hotter than that guy!" Sebastian let out indignantly. "CW, jeez..."

Adrian chuckled. "It's not that bad to be compared to a superhero!"

Sebastian sighed. "Yeah, ok, I guess you're right. But he'd better not be expecting me to save the day."

"Heaven forbid," Oliver said rolling his eyes.

The doorbell rang.

"Be nice!" Oliver said in an undertone before going to the door.

"I'm always nice!" Sebastian protested, and Adrian gave him a very sceptical look.

Both of them listened to the greetings at the door, and then Oliver was coming back in followed by a tall, attractive man with dark, curly locks. The resemblance to the Game of Thrones character was strengthened by the dragon print on his shirt, but it also made him look extremely young.

"He's legal, right?" Sebastian whispered from the corner of his mouth, before clearing his throat and extending his hand.

"Hi, I'm Sebastian."

The man took Sebastian's hand and shook it. "I'm John," he said. He saw Sebastian's eyes widen and he smirked. "I know, I get that a lot."

"Drink, John?" Adrian asked.

"I'll have a meade please...if you have it."

"Um, sorry, no. But we have a few different craft beers?" Adrian offered. "Or wine?"

John hesitated. "I only drink mulled wine," he admitted. "In winter."

Sebastian smirked. _ Meade? Mulled wine? _ "How about absinthe?" he teased. "Or is that the wrong century?"

Before John could answer, Oliver said: "We have water and sodas too, John."

"I'll have a water, please," John said, a little subdued.

Adrian shot a frown at Sebastian. Sebastian shrugged helplessly. Was it _ his _ fault the guy drank weird stuff? But then he remembered he was supposed to be nice, so he turned to John again.

"So, I heard you work with Olli?" he started.

John looked at Sebastian and relaxed his shoulders. "Umm, yeah. I've not been there long but it's good. I'm saving up so that I can go travelling with some friends next year. Oliver said you own a store? What kind of things do you sell?"

Adrian, deciding it was okay to leave Sebastian and John alone now that he was being civil, went to fetch drinks.

"Sheet music," Sebastian said.

"...for...instruments?" John asked hesitantly. "I thought you could just google that stuff. Like chords."

Sebastian grimaced. "Yeah, more and more people do. But every now and then people _ do _ come in and sometimes even _ buy _ something!" He couldn't help his overly chipper tone. He had heard the argument enough from his parents, and he and Steph were always keeping people from taking pictures of the sheets with their smartphones. He sighed.

"So travelling, huh?" he offered.

John's eyes lit up. "Yes! Europe. We want to hit all of the festivals next summer."

"Music festivals?" Sebastian asked, a little surprised. Surely most bands came to the US on tours as well?

"No, renaissance fairs! They're so much better there, and _ authentic,_ you know? All of these actual castles in Germany and France- there's nothing like it here. And they have better re-enactors and cosplayers there too, it's like what Japan is for anime cons, Europe is for fantasy and renaissance."

Sebastian blinked. "So...do you...dress up too?"

John nodded seriously. "Oh yes! I have a few cosplay characters. Jon Snow being the main one - I mean, use what you've got right?" He swept his hair back. "But I also do Little John from Robin Hood and have a few Knight costumes...I did dress up as Hagrid once, but it was too damn hot in the summer sun so I retired him."

Sebastian opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again as Oliver and Adrian came back in. "Thank you," he said gratefully, accepting the beer Adrian had brought him, and taking a long sip. He knew it was unfair to judge someone for a hobby they were passionate about, but the idea of John dressing up as Hagrid killed about every sexy vibe his looks gave him. He could not _ unsee _it now.

"What were you guys talking about?" Oliver asked, smiling from one to the other.

"European Renaissance Fairs-" started John.

_"Hagrid,"_ finished Sebastian.

Adrian and Oliver looked between the two of them and John blushed.

"O-kay," Oliver said. "Well, Seb _ is _ a Harry Potter fan, how many times did you read the books?"

"Uh...I'm not sure," Sebastian hedged. "A few times?"

"The American or the English version?" John asked eagerly. "There's several tiny differences that just make it feel so much more _ British _ if you read the original...and don't even get me started on the audio books!"

Sebastian laughed nervously. "I won't," he assured John. "I enjoyed the first few but I don't have a very strong opinion-"

"I think it should be against con code to dress up as You-Know-Who, don't you think? I mean, you can't cosplay Hitler either!"

"You think dressing up as Voldemort-"

"You-Know-Who!"

Sebastian gave Oliver a blank look.

Oliver stared back at Sebastian, his mouth hanging open in shock.

"Sushi!" he said hurriedly. "Who's hungry?"

"Starving!" Sebastian said, nearly jumping up to go to the dinner table.

* * *

**[JUNE]**

"So, don't be mad, but I invited this guy I ran into-"

Sebastian groaned. "Oh Olli, not _ another _ one!"

"Come on, Seb. I admit that John was a bit of a bust but this one is _ different! _"

"That's what you said about all the others too!" Sebastian protested. Remember that anti vaxxer, whatshisname?"

"Terrance," Adrian said, sounding subdued. "And I didn't know that! It never came up at work!"

"And Peter," Sebastian reminded them.

"Ah yes, Mr 'How Much For The Music?'... how did you never work out that he didn't speak English?" Oliver said to his husband.

"I only know him from the gym! I just always thought he was just _ quiet,"_ Adrian protested.

* * *

_ "Adrian says me you sell...ah...how you say? Music between the bed-sheets? How much?"_

_ "Excuse me?"_

_ "How much for you in the bed-sheets? I want to make the love with you."_

* * *

"He thought I was an escort, Ade!"

"In retrospect it _ did _ explain why he kept asking me where the nearest ATM was..."

Oliver laughed and shook his head.

"Well, this guy tonight is _ normal, _ I promise. He's one of my produce delivery guys. His name is George, he's 26 and he plays the guitar...so you at least have something you can talk about."

"In English?" Sebastian asked sceptically.

"_Yes, _ in English," Oliver confirmed. "He also eats regular food, has had all his vaccines, and only dresses up for Halloween."

Adrian snorted. Sebastian flicked his napkin at him. "It's not funny!" he said. "I honestly don't know why you keep setting me up for these blind dates. I did fine on my own for years!"

"We're just trying to help, Seb," Oliver said. "I mean, you say you are fine but you never brought anyone else over to meet us..."

"Like you're my _ dads?"_ Sebastian said, a little defensively. "I don't need your approval."

"Of course not, it's just…" Oliver trailed off and looked at his friend guiltily whilst they all filled in the blanks.

"We just want you to be happy," Adrian said.

Sebastian pressed his lips together, feeling touched despite their misguided efforts. "Thank you. I'm _ fine, _ but thank you."

He ran a hand through his hair. "How do I look?" he asked lightly, hoping to diffuse the awkwardness. "Hot enough to snatch a musician?"

"Totally," Oliver said without hesitance. Adrian nodded in agreement.

The doorbell rang. Adrian went to open the door.

Sebastian's stomach dropped as George walked in, wearing a neon bowtie.

_ It's just a novelty tie, _ he told himself sternly. _ He's a musician, a bit of hipster fashion is a given. You can't avoid everyone wearing bow ties for the rest of your life._

Beyond the eyesore, the guy wasn't bad looking and he had a cute smile. He also greeted Oliver cordially without that weird talking-down thing people sometimes did to people in wheelchairs, and made a sane first impression. It was during dinner, when Adrian asked him what kind of music he liked, that things went wrong.

"Oh," George said, hurrying to swallow his food. "Erm, I like all sorts really, but, if I had to pick one artist I'd have to say Blaine Anderson."

Sebastian, who had just sipped his glass of wine, coughed loudly and gasped for breath. He covered his mouth with his hand and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me," he rasped, "My wine went the wrong way. What did you say?"

"Blaine Anderson," George repeated. "You know, that famous Youtuber who's going to marry Kurt Hummel."

"MARRY?" Oliver said loudly and looked at Sebastian before turning back to George. "They're getting married?"

George nodded. "Oh yes, it's been all over social media today. Blaine organised a flash mob for Kurt when they were having dinner last night. He got _ three _ choirs involved, and one of them was a deaf choir." George sighed. "So romantic."

Sebastian felt his stomach turn to lead. He had thought he was over it; had filed everything about Kurt in a small box in his mind labelled 'once upon a dream', never to be opened again. But George's unexpected mention of his name made it quite clear he was _ not _ over it- by far.

Sebastian felt hot and cold at the same time, his mind immediately calling up _ everything _ ; the evening they had spent laughing and talking, right here at Oliver and Adrian's, their date, the taste of his lips, the promise in his eyes that had seemed _ so _ genuine...it was enough to nearly take his breath away. And now he was marrying _ Blaine?_

Sebastian had never felt this jealous in his life.

Adrian broke him out of his trance by trying to steer the topic away from Kurt. "So, George, back to you - have you ever played in a band?"

Sebastian didn't listen to the answer. He didn't care. As much as he had wanted to give George a chance, he did not want to date anyone who thought anything Blaine Anderson did was _ romantic_.

Despite the change of subject, Oliver felt Sebastian completely shut down beside him. For the rest of the evening he played a passive role in their conversation, only speaking when spoken to directly and even then, not offering up much information.

George left shortly after dessert and coffee with a hopeful little glance at Sebastian, who was too lost in thought to notice.

Adrian showed him out and Oliver wheeled over to a sideboard and pulled out a bottle of Glenfidditch and three tumblers. He had just set them down on the table when the front door shut and Adrian returned to the room.

He and Oliver shared a look before looking at their friend, who was staring at his coffee cup with a frown.

Oliver handed him a glass of whiskey and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Seb...are you...okay?"

Sebastian shrugged, keeping his eyes down. He was looking at his phone under the table. He didn't _ want _ to see it, but couldn't help himself. George was right: social media was all over it.

Pictures, speculations, small grainy clips of the choirs singing _ All You Need Is Love. _ Bloggers were analysing every clip of the scene like it was a puzzle to be solved, music critics were speculating what this would mean for their upcoming projects, fans were making fanart and tribute videos.

Sebastian clicked link after link even if none of them brought anything new. Elliott's words kept coming back to him - if Blaine was the one having guys on the side, why would _ he _ be the one to propose? It made no sense. Maybe he had finally realised what he had in Kurt and wanted to make up for it…it was the only logical thing his brain could come up with.

Oliver and Adrian shared another look and Oliver sighed as he realised what Sebastian was doing.

"Seb, come on babe, don't look at it. What good will it do?"

Sebastian shrugged again. He knew it didn't change anything, but it was too hard to stop.

Adrian pressed his lips together in a determined expression. "Okay, let's see it then," he said. "On the table. For closure. And then, we drink."

Sebastian took a deep breath and nodded. He put his phone on the table.

The three of them leant over to watch the video that was playing. Over the din of the crowd, they could hear the infamous song being sung by a harmony of voices. The screen was focused on Kurt, who had a shocked and, if Oliver was honest with himself, uncomfortable look on his face. He was looking as though he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

Adrian said what Oliver was thinking. "Kurt looks super awkward."

"Well, I would too, if someone was serenading _ me _ in a suit like _ that!"_ Oliver tried to joke, but his eyes were on Sebastian. He was looking utterly heartbroken.

The video ended and the next one started, with two vlog hosts discussing the event like they were moderating the Oscars.

"I don't know why I am surprised," Sebastian said softly.

"Seb," Oliver started, but Adrian shook his head, effectively silencing him. Nothing either of them could say would make Sebastian feel better.

"Have a drink," Adrian said, nodding at the tumbler in front of Sebastian's hand.

"Yeah," Sebastian agreed, and picked up his glass. "To what was, hopefully, the last blind date in a while?"

"I'll drink to that," Adrian agreed, and Oliver held out his glass too, offering Sebastian an apologetic smile. Maybe he was better off picking his own dates after all.

* * *

Sebastian allowed himself one evening to feel sorry for himself, and then tried to move on. Tried being the optimum word. Apparently nothing else had happened in the world of show business by the following morning because #FlashMobProposal was still the number one trend on Twitter, with #KlaineEngaged and #Kledding coming in second and third respectively. Clickbait articles popped up at every website and sponsored app he visited. And because enough people clicked it, the hype lasted for days.

New pictures surfaced every hour as the press stalked every moment of the celebrities' lives. Any time either of them went somewhere or did anything, a story was spun from it; Blaine was spotted at a large hotel chain ("location scouting?"), hanging with friends ("pre-bachelor party?"), Kurt was followed to the recording studio ("new love song material?").

The biggest new surge came when Kurt was spotted with a ring on his finger. Pictures of it appeared everywhere. Sebastian tried to avoid it as best as he could, but it was impossible. Even Elliott was talking about it (mostly bad things, but it still _ hurt_).

To make matters worse, a week after the first story broke, the press finally got its exclusive with Blaine. The video went viral instantly.

_ "Blaine, we couldn't help but notice the beautiful ring Kurt has been wearing lately...does this mean what we all hope it means?"_

Blaine smiled, and Sebastian scowled at the screen. _ I hope it means you're gonna move to Doucheistan, _he thought vengefully.

_ "Well, I don't know what _ you _ are hoping for," _ Blaine said flirtily, _"__but I can tell you what _ I _ am hopeful for- that one day, Kurt and I will get our happily ever after."_

_"And how does Kurt feel about that?"_

_ "Kurt and I agree on anything," _ Blaine said smoothly. _ "We're soulmates."_

"We're _ soulmates,"_ Sebastian mimicked in a nasty voice. "Ugh!"

He switched his phone off and dropped back on his bed. Everything sucked.


	8. Safe Harbour

**JULY**

"There he is! Kurt Hummel! It's him!"

"Kurt! Kurt, what do you have to say? Is the engagement off? What are your thoughts on the rumours of Blaine's indiscretions?"

Kurt was blinded by flashing cameras as he drove up the street to his father's house. He braked urgently as someone stepped right in front of him. Reporters swarmed his car like were practically climbing over each other in an attempt to get a clear shot of his face. They yelled questions at him, holding out microphones and cellphones and pounding his car window as he tried to get his bearings.

He couldn't move his car an inch further without hitting someone, and there was no way he would be able to get from the car to the house unscathed. It was only a few yards, but it seemed like a mile. He could see Carole peep out of the curtains of the upstairs window and felt his heart clench. She waved at him and a second later his phone rang.

Kurt pressed the button on his steering wheel to answer.

"Hello?" he said, his voice catching.

"Kurt! Son, are you okay?" his dad said. "Journalists have been camping outside the house all night. I had to google what was going on. We...we saw the pictures."

Kurt let out a frustrated cry and held back a sob. "I'm so sorry, dad. I never meant to embarrass you-"

"Don't worry about me, buddy. How are_ you?"_

"Not...so good," Kurt admitted in a small voice. "It's awful dad, I don't know what to do!"

"Stay in the car. I'll come get you," his dad said, determination strong in his voice.

Kurt sniffed. "No, don't! I can't. I can't come out like this." He didn't know what he had been thinking. _ Of course _ they would be here, too. "I thought I could come home, but…"

"What about your PR team? You don't pay them for nothing!"

"They are already handling things in New York and on my social media…"

"Do you want me to call the police? These bozos are trespassing, I can have them thrown off-"

"No, please. It'll just make everything worse. I'll just...I'll go," Kurt said.

"Go, where?" his dad demanded. Kurt could hear Carole mumble something in the background. "Do you have somewhere to go?"

Kurt bit his lip. He only knew of one other place he could stay in this town. He only knew one person...but the last time they'd seen each other, Kurt had hurt him badly. He highly doubted that Sebastian would want to see him...but he had no other choice but to try.

"Umm, yeah I think so," he said. "I'll give it a try...I'll call you later okay?"

"Alright buddy, be safe! I love you."

"I love you too dad, and I'm sorry."

His dad hung up the phone and Kurt let out a shaky breath. He honked the horn and revved the engine a little to warn the reporters he was moving. He threw the car into reverse and put his foot hard on the pedal. He spun the wheel as he reversed and spun the car around before zooming off down the road, hoping that his knowledge of the town and the speed of his car would be enough to outrun the press.

* * *

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," Sebastian muttered. Someone was leaning on the bell. He knew only one person who'd come over this early in the morning: Elliott, coming in from a night out without his keys.

Not bothering getting dressed for his roommate, Sebastian walked down the stairs in his sleep shirt and shorts. He opened the front door and squinted at the bright light of day. He blinked a little and held his hand up to shield his eyes and froze as a familiar face came into focus.

Kurt looked up at Sebastian with wide, blood-shot eyes. Any other time, he might have taken a moment to appreciate the sight of a sleep-rumpled Sebastian in his bed clothes, but right now the only thing he could focus on was getting off the street.

"I'm sorry," he pleaded. "I didn't want to bother you, but...I have nowhere else to go...c-can I come in? Please?"

Sebastian shook himself into action. Kurt was the very last person he had expected to see, but one look at his tear-stained face and he knew he couldn't refuse him anything.

"Of course, come in," he said, stepping aside. He peered around Kurt down the street, not sure exactly what or who he was looking for, but there was no one. He closed the door and took in the sight of Kurt.

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

Kurt let out a choked sob and wrapped his arms around himself. Yes, he was hurt, just not physically.

"Did-Have you not seen?" he whispered, unable to quite meet Sebastian's eyes.

"Seen what?" Sebastian asked. "Oh, you mean that stuff from last week, with the choirs?"

If Kurt was having second thoughts about his engagement, Sebastian wasn't quite sure he was the right person to reassure him.

Kurt winced and Sebastian realised there was probably more to it. There was clearly a lot to Kurt and Blaine's relationship he didn't know - that much had been evident the last time they saw each other.

He sighed. "Why don't you come on up? I'll make us some coffee."

Kurt nodded gratefully and followed Sebastian up the stairs.

The place was tidier than it had been last time, not so much fabric and glitter everywhere.

"Elliott isn't here," Sebastian said, effectively answering his thoughts. "It's a Starchild weekend and that often means he's gone from Friday to Sunday evening. We've got the place to ourselves."

Kurt nodded and sat down at the kitchen table.

While Sebastian made coffee, Kurt pulled out his phone. Messages and notifications lit up his screen and he felt his heart sink. There was one from his dad so Kurt answered it.

**To Dad 08:06**

**I'm safe dad, I'm at a friend's. I'm so sorry about all of this, I'll fix it, I promise. I love you.**

He sent the message and switched off his phone, setting it on the table in front of him while he waited for Sebastian.

Sebastian busied himself finding clean mugs, trying to stop his mind from going into overdrive. If he'd been thinking clearly, he probably would have been more self conscious about the state of his place and the fact that he wasn't really dressed, but as Kurt wasn't exactly looking very put-together himself, it didn't occur to him to worry about all of that.

He poured coffee into two mugs, stirred in sweetener for Kurt as he had seen him do at Oliver's, and brought them to the table.

"I don't have much to offer for breakfast," he said. "I could probably scrounge up some toast...and honey, maybe. I had the last of the cereal for dinner last night."

Kurt took the mug gratefully and shook his head. "I'm not hungry, thanks," he said. At this point, it didn't feel like he'd ever want to eat again.

Kurt took a sip of coffee and felt its warmth run through him. He closed his eyes and focused on the feeling for a moment. He set the mug down and held it in both of his hands like a lifeline.

"I owe you an apology," he whispered. "I know you want answers-"

"It's okay-" Sebastian started, but Kurt shook his head.

"It's not," he said decisively, and straightened his back. "I should have called you to explain. You have to believe me, I had no idea he would fly in! When I told you it was complicated...The reason I was in Ohio in the first place was because I'd caught him cheating for the third time and I ended it. We were broken up."

Kurt swallowed. "I had given him the weekend to clear out his things, but instead, he showed up at my dad's house to try and 'win me back'."

Sebastian felt Kurt's words like a punch in the gut. "He cheated on you_ three times?"_ he echoed hollowly. That was more than just a 'mistake', that was just gross infidelity.

Kurt shrugged uncomfortably. "Maybe even more, I don't know. He always had some excuse at the ready, but if you walk in on two people naked-"

"Why didn't you say something?" Sebastian asked. He could still remember the thoroughly unhappy look on Kurt's face, though it had a new interpretation now.

Kurt closed his eyes. "I was in shock, and...he has a bit of a nasty streak. If he'd learnt what we'd been doing, he would have turned and caused a scene."

Sebastian felt a chill run down his back. A nasty streak? That could be a euphemism for so many things. He couldn't help but check over every inch of skin peeking from Kurt's clothes, looking for bruises.

Kurt looked down at his mug, shrugging awkwardly. "I'm so sorry for hurting you, that was the last thing I wanted to do. I thought I was protecting you, but in retrospect...I think I was mostly looking for the easiest way out of the situation."

Sebastian felt awful. Suddenly his sulking about Kurt's dismissal seemed inappropriate and childish.

"I'm sorry I didn't stay," he said, his voice breaking a little. "I noticed...something between the two of you but I thought-" He let out a frustrated sigh. "I shouldn't have left you alone with him."

He paused. "What did he do?"

Kurt shrugged. "Nothing, he just acted like none of it had ever happened and we were still together. Kept going on about how we were 'soulmates' and that 'trust was a choice' and...I didn't want my dad to see what a mess my life was, so I packed us up and we went home."

"You got back together?" Sebastian asked, trying to keep judgement from his voice.

Kurt shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. Then, he looked up at Sebastian.

"I don't think 'trust is a choice'. As soon as we got home, I told him to pack his bags and stay at a hotel. We've been apart ever since. The spectacle at the restaurant last week was his way of trying to woo me back. I'd agreed to meet him there to _ talk_. In _ private_. I mainly wanted to tell him to finally come and get his stuff out of my apartment but...well...you know what happened."

"You got engaged," Sebastian finished, feeling hollow.

Kurt let go of his mug and looked Sebastian straight in the eye.

"No, I didn't! It wasn't even a real proposal, just him asking me to take him back in the flashiest way possible, and I said _ no,_ but he didn't listen and he kissed me right after, and everyone started cheering, and-" He shook his head in disbelief. "One thing lead to another...It was all just wilfully misinterpreted by the press."

At Sebastian's confused look, Kurt sighed and fumbled with a cord around his neck, pulling it out to the front. The silver ring that had caused this whole frenzy was dangling from it.

"This isn't an engagement ring. It was a gift...I get a lot of 'wish kids' wanting to meet me, and I _ always _ answer. A week or so before I came to Ohio last time, I went to meet a girl. She was fourteen years old and had an inoperable tumour in her brain." He swallowed.

"She was really good at origami and had made me this awesome ring from gum wrappers. She made me promise to wear it, but it was so fragile I was afraid it would fall apart. So I had a replica made out of white gold. I promised to wear it every day for the rest of her life." Kurt closed his eyes. "She died the day it arrived back in the mail. I put it on in memory of her and the press had a field day…and _ he _ encouraged them."

Sebastian struggled to take it all in. Kurt _ wasn't _ engaged, and that _ wasn't _ Blaine's ring?

Suddenly, Kurt's words from their date came back to him.

_"__Anything you ever read about me...take it with a pinch of salt, okay?"_

Sebastian realised he had gotten it all wrong. He had fallen for it, for everything the press had told him- not because they were a reliable source or had actual inside information, but because he had _ wanted _ to.

A flashy proposal, an engagement ring...the fans had lapped it up because they wanted to see the fairytale of the fanboy and the superstar, and Sebastian had believed it because it _ hurt _, and he had let it rub salt in the wound of his broken heart because he thought that was what he deserved for going out with a celebrity in the first place. And all the while, all of them had it all wrong.

"I am so sorry for your loss," he offered, not sure he could ever wrap his head around the emotional load Kurt carried meeting terminally ill kids.

He believed Kurt's story about the ring right away; it seemed so much more likely, so much more _ Kurt_...but one thing still didn't add up.

"But there was this exclusive interview with Blaine where he said...basically, he said you were getting married."

Kurt made a strangled noise in the back of his throat and rolled his eyes. "It wasn't 'an exclusive'. Some crackpot journalist cornered him on the street and asked, and ever the 'romantic drama queen', he lied. He has a theory where he thinks, if he tells the same story enough times, it will come true."

Kurt sighed. "I think he hoped that I'd be too embarrassed or 'nice' to rebuff him once it was out...that I would just go with it like I did before." He shook his head. "I'd given him enough precedence. I let him use my fame to launch his career, I let him hurt me, insult me, bastardise my work, cheat on me, then make it up to me with flimsy promises. I took him back again and _ again_. But this was the final straw. I couldn't take it anymore."

Kurt swallowed and lifted his chin. "I called him out on Twitter and publicly rejected him...I told the world we were broken up and I would _ never _ marry him."

Kurt felt his lip wobble. "He didn't take it well, and...released the pictures."

Suddenly, Sebastian regretted staying off social media the past days. He had gotten so sick of the engagement news that he had logged out of everything after the interview with Blaine, so had no idea of anything that had happened since.

"What pictures?" he asked carefully.

Kurt closed his eyes and felt a tear roll down his cheek.

"They were taken ages ago. It was supposed to be something silly, fun, flirty...you know? _ Private. _ The kind of thing you send your significant other."

"You mean...nudes?" Sebastian asked.

Kurt laughed mirthlessly. "Something like that. I wasn't _ fully _undressed, but...there was one where I was shirtless, and..." He closed his eyes. "Eating a banana...suggestively...so it looked like..."

Sebastian's stomach plummeted and he briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw Kurt was studying him nervously, undoubtedly waiting for some kind of judgement.

"How...I mean, where did he..." Sebastian started.

Kurt scoffed. "As a reply to me on twitter. As soon as I got the notification, he had already deleted his tweet again, but it was online for a few minutes. More than enough for it to be picked up by his millions of followers, retweeted, screencapped, photoshopped, shared- burned into the internet archives _ forever." _

He twisted his lips. "And then Blaine just went 'oops' and posted some rot about 'having his account hacked' and 'respecting people's privacy'."

Sebastian's jaw hung open. He knew immediately it had _ not _ been a mistake. Blaine had put Kurt in an online pillory to punish him for his rejection.

"What an asshole," he mumbled incredulously. "Can you...I don't know...sue?"

Kurt shrugged. "I haven't really thought that far ahead. I'm not sure what good it would do. It's not like I need the money, and the pictures are already out there anyway. The phone's been ringing non-stop, and I just...had to get away. I drove through the night, but when I got to my dad's this morning, the reporters were already there...and so...I...I didn't know where else to go."

He looked down at his coffee again. "You must hate me."

"No! No, Kurt..." Sebastian said, not needing to think about it. "I don't hate you. I mean, yeah, I was mad about the way you and Blaine dismissed me-" He broke off and shook his head. "But I guess I understand a little bit better now."

He paused. He didn't want to argue about their date, or rebound, or whatever it might have been. He just wanted to make Kurt feel better.

"We'll figure out what to do about it later," he promised. "For now, you could just stay here, keep your phone off, rest up...maybe have a shower? I can get you a change of clothes- again." He added the last with a small smile, thinking about how they met.

Kurt felt gratitude wash over him and he closed his eyes, letting out a huff of a laugh. He was exhausted.

"A shower and clean clothes sounds great."

"Okay. Give me a few minutes to clean up the bathroom and grab some jeans, and I'll put towels and a change of clothes out for you." Sebastian smiled. "It's not exactly the Four Seasons, but it's clean...Apart from the glitter, I can't make any promises about that."

Kurt smiled a little. "I'm not afraid of a little glitter."

* * *

Kurt stepped out of the shower some time later feeling a bit more human. Sebastian had left some clothes on his bed for Kurt with a note.

_' I wasn't sure if you wanted comfy or casual, so I left both. Wear what you like - S'_

Kurt looked at the clothes again and smiled. There was a pair of jeans and a t-shirt as well as a pair of sweatpants.

He thought about it for a moment before grabbing the sweats and t-shirt. Once he was dressed, his hair dried roughly with a towel, he walked back out into the living area.

Sebastian was in the kitchen cooking. The scent of food filled Kurt's nostrils and his stomach growled. He was startled to realise that he'd not eaten anything since lunchtime the day before.

"Hey," he said softly, sitting down at the kitchen table again. "Thanks, for the shower...and clothes."

Sebastian looked over his shoulder and smiled. While Kurt showered, he had gotten dressed and quickly picked up some things at the grocery store. "I got some fresh juice," he said, nodding at the fridge. "Glasses are in the cupboard over the sink." He flipped the French toast in the pan.

"My grandma always says the best cure to anything is food," he continued. "I'm not sure if it _ always _ works but I figured we might try."

"I love French Toast," Kurt said reverently. "Definitely the best cure."

He stood up and followed Sebastian's directions to the glasses and juice. He poured them each a glass and put the juice back in the fridge. It all felt strangely domestic.

"I always burn mine when I try to make it."

Sebastian smirked and took a sip of his juice. "Olli taught me. It's not that hard unless you're afraid of butter. If you try to save calories, you lose."

His smile faltered a little as he suddenly recalled Blaine's teasing about Kurt being manorexic. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you- I don't know." He cleared his throat. "Do you have, like...a problem with food?"

Kurt put his glass down and bit his lip. "In this industry, who doesn't?" he asked rhetorically, before shaking his head and trying to answer the question honestly.

"Yes and no. I don't- I can't eat whatever I want, all the time. Performing takes a lot out on my body. Dancing and moving around the way I do when I'm on stage is a full body workout. Staying in shape and eating healthier helps me to perform better...Blaine never got that. I mean, all he does is sit at home and record videos in his bedroom! He is so insecure about his own weight that he'd try to get me to eat with him so he'd feel less guilty about it. He'd always try and load me up with carbs and sugar...I _ like _ all those things and it's not that I avoid them completely...I just have to be careful."

"Hey, I get that," Sebastian said. "I work out too. Probably not as much as you, but...it's all a balance. So: French toast, cheese at Olli's...and not too much take-out and donuts. It feels like a small price to pay. The cheese Olli serves is better, anyway." He took the pan off the stove and stacked the egg toast on a plate.

"Now, don't get your hopes up. I know you deserve a Cheat Day but you don't get more than half of this," he warned Kurt playfully.

Kurt grinned and held up his hands. "Far be it for me to argue with a Frenchman over breakfast."

Sebastian winked at him and set the plate down in the middle of the table.

"Help yourself."

Kurt took two slices of toast and transferred them to his plate. He picked up the powdered sugar shaker and sprinkled some evenly over his breakfast. A little extra sugar every now and then didn't hurt - and you couldn't have French Toast without it.

"Thank you," he said softly. "For being my lighthouse in the storm."

"You're welcome," Sebastian said. "Though you may have to sit through a lot of awful sailor puns for that mental image now. My mind is already filled with thoughts of sea men." He smirked.

He found he had already forgiven Kurt for everything, and had learned a lesson about assuming to know people in the process. He also found that he really wanted to get to know Kurt better; _ really _ get to know him.

Kurt snorted and shook his head. "Oh my god," he said. "You're such a boy."

"Don't you mean _ buoy,"_ Sebastian suggested, and then laughed loudly at his own joke before eating half a slice of toast in one bite.

* * *

Hanging out with Kurt was easy. They liked a lot of the same things, and it somehow felt like they had been having the same conversation for years. With growing enthusiasm at each topic, they found themselves replying 'yes! I know, right?', 'I know exactly what you mean!' and 'that's what I said!'. The early hours of morning faded into noon and neither one had once felt like looking at their phones to see what the world was up to. The world was t_hem._

"So," Sebastian said, his head resting back on the couch looking up at the ceiling. "If you could do _ anything _ you wanted, as a job I mean, what would you do? Would you keep singing and touring?"

Kurt let his eyes track over the ceiling for a moment, flicking to Sebastian and back again before he answered.

"I always wanted to be an actor," he admitted. "Broadway, movies...hell, I'd even do a TV show. I'm thankful for the break I got when I was sixteen and I love the music and all my fans...but I've been doing it for nearly ten years, you know? I'd like to try something else."

"Really? Like Whitney Houston in _ Bodyguard?"_ Sebastian asked, already secretly casting himself as Frank.

Kurt scowled a little at the reference to him playing the girl's part, though he hoped that was not how Sebastian meant it. "More like Hugh Jackman in _ Les Misérables." _

"Mmm, Hugh Jackman..." Sebastian mumbled, adjusting his mental image. He turned to look at Kurt. "Have you ever auditioned?"

Kurt shook his head. "I've wanted to a few times, but was always...persuaded out of it. 'Stay in my lane', you know?"

Sebastian frowned. "But you're...famous and rich. You can do what you want, right?"

Kurt shrugged. "The people who depend on me for their jobs don't see it that way...I should just keep making them money and be thankful for the life I have, without taking any risks.."

"That sucks." Sebastian considered it. "It's really not that glamorous, is it," he stated.

"No...it's not very glamorous," Kurt said quietly. "Not all the time, anyway."

He shook himself and looked at Sebastian. "What about you? What made you want to open a sheet music store?"

Sebastian shrugged. "I liked working there as an employee. Sheet music has this certain ancient mystique about it. Like, it breaks down the magic of a melody into something visible. But-" He let out a sigh. "I'd much rather be...I don't know, someone who actually _ makes _ music. Or a dancer." He snorted. "Or a restaurant critic!"

He looked at Kurt and smiled. "Though a lot of people say that once you turn your passion into your day job, you no longer enjoy it as much. And I would definitely not want to lose my appreciation of food."

Kurt smirked. "Somehow I don't think that would ever happen," he said amused. "I've not known you long, but I already know _ that. _ You have a healthy relationship with it and appreciate food that's good for you...apart from your aversion of tomatoes."

"Tomatoes are an abomination of nature," Sebastian declared. "I mean like, are they vegetables, are they fruit, make up your mind, people!"

"Tomatoes are a fruit," Kurt said sagely. "And they are delicious."

Sebastian looked at him from the side. "I'd say you know me pretty well if you already discovered my one weakness..."

"Just the one, huh?" Kurt said with a smirk. "I'm sure you have more..."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Sebastian said, his voice deepening.

Kurt let his eyes flutter and he replied in a similar voice. "I would, actually."

Sebastian felt his temperature rise at the sound of Kurt's voice, and it made his mouth go dry. He licked his lips and saw Kurt follow the move with his eyes. Suddenly, the memory of their kiss come back to him vividly - but it was followed immediately by the vision of Blaine sending him off. Successfully being buzzkilled by his own brain, Sebastian tried to cover up the pause in their conversation.

"Well, I'm allergic to strawberries, so there is that. I love them, but I can't have any. The forbidden fruit, so to say." He swallowed. "You?"

Kurt let Sebastian divert the conversation and gasped. "You're _ allergic _ to _ strawberries? _ Oh, you poor thing!"

"It's one of the great tragedies of my life," Sebastian agreed. "Do you know how many brands of flavoured condoms are strawberry?"

Kurt laughed. "Oh god, you're not missing much. I _ hate _ flavoured condoms...they taste _ nothing _ like the flavours they're supposed to!"

Sebastian smiled too, pleased to see Kurt enjoy himself after having arrived at his place in tears. Kurt's laugh was magical. He couldn't _ not _laugh along, or try to say another funny thing to keep it going.

"I know, right? They pretty much all taste like play-dough, and once your brain makes _ that _ connection, it's very hard to take things seriously. And by hard, I mean the opposite, I guess." Sebastian shook his head in mirth. "I'm gonna make us some more coffee. Do you know what you want for dinner yet?"

Kurt thought about it and felt his mouth water as a thought popped into his head. "I know I literally just said I like to eat healthy and we already had French toast...but honestly, after the week I've had, I really kinda want to indulge with a massive pizza...is Joey's still open? I haven't had one of their cheese feast pizzas in _ years.__"_

"Nah, we only have Dominos now, but their cheese is passable," Sebastian said. "My friend Alex swears by it. Do you wanna order some and watch _ Les Mis _ with it? I think it's on Netflix."

Kurt smiled at Sebastian and nodded, warmth spreading through his body right down to the tips of his fingers and toes. "Sounds perfect."

Briefly, Sebastian worried if he had said something different than he intended to, because Kurt looked like he had just promised him all the stars in the sky. _ Maybe comfort food really is the cure for everything,_ Sebastian mused.

They ordered pizza and after a gentle nudge from Kurt, Sebastian also made them some popcorn. If they were having a Cheat Day, they might as well go all out.

Sebastian brought out a thick, heavy patchwork quilt from his room and they curled up on the sofa with their food. Under the warmth of the quilt, with a heavy meal settling in his stomach, Kurt felt more safe and content than he had in a very long time.

Things were just _ easy _ with Sebastian. There was no false pretence, no higher standard that he needed to hold himself too. Within these walls, he didn't feel like _ Kurt Hummel Rockstar. _ He was just Kurt, hanging out with a friend in his hometown. It felt like he'd been doing it for years.

"Thank you," Kurt said some time later, once the food was gone and Eponine was walking through the rainy streets singing _ Without Him. _ "I know I said it already, but I really do mean it. Today has been a good day."

Sebastian pulled up the corner of his mouth. "Yeah, it sure beat laundry day. Though I may not have clean socks tomorrow."

He sighed, remembering the reason Kurt was there. "I wish it had been under better circumstances though."

Kurt bit his lip and nodded. "Me too, but it's been nice to forget the outside world for a while."

He tucked his feet up underneath himself and sunk down into the sofa a bit, resting his head against the armrest and pulling the quilt tighter over himself, his eyes settling back on the screen.

By the time the end score rung out, Kurt was fast asleep. He had dropped off during Javert's solo.

Towards the end, Sebastian had spent more time watching him than he had the film. He was mesmerised by his every breath. Kurt had softly sang along to Cosette's _ A Heart Full of Love _ as well as Valjean's _ Bring Him Home,_ and had somehow managed to give Sebastian chills in both voices. It had been like a mini-concert, intimate and private, and so different from the theatrical clips Sebastian had seen of Kurt's tours that he had almost felt like he was intruding just by being in the same room.

He knew that maybe he ought to wake Kurt and offer him a more comfortable place to sleep, but Sebastian was worried that if he did, Kurt might decide to go elsewhere instead. So, he quietly cleaned up, switched off the TV, and pulled the quilt back up over Kurt's shoulders before going to his own room. They'd figure out where to go from here in the morning.

* * *

**[the next morning]**

The door slammed closed. "Seb! Seb, are you up?" Elliott called out. He was still in half-smudged make-up from the night before, and came into the apartment in a cloud of early-morning fry up and glitter.

"Seb, wake up," he called again, walking into the living room to shrug off his coat on the couch. "Trust me when I say: You wanna be awake to see these pictures of K-"

Elliott broke off to stare at the moving shape underneath his leather jacket.

The loud noise of the door (and the ironing board falling over) had startled Kurt awake. He opened his eyes and they flickered around the unfamiliar room. It didn't take long for his brain to catch up with where he was, and he smiled softly at the memory from the day before.

That memory was thrown from his mind however, as an excited voice shouted out and heavy boots stomped up the stairs. Kurt let out a soft "oomf" when a heavy leather jacket landed on his face and he threw it off, annoyed.

He looked up at his assailant. "You must be Elliott."

Elliott stared down at the attractive man on the couch for a few moments, trying to connect the dots- and trying to remember just _ how much _ tequila he had drunk. "Seb?" he called out again, keeping his eyes on the man.

Sebastian rolled over in his bed and groaned, wondering why the hell Elliott was waking him so early on a Sunday- until he, too, connected the dots and cursed loudly. "Elliott!" he called back as he hurriedly jumped out of bed, "Don't-"

He ran into the living room to see Elliott and Kurt staring at each other awkwardly.

Kurt sat up to look at Sebastian with wide eyes. Despite the situation, he couldn't stop the flutter he felt in his chest at seeing him. "Morning," he offered in a soft voice.

"Hey," Sebastian said, for a moment just simply amazed Kurt was still there. He looked adorably rumpled (and incredibly hot), with his slept-on hair and Sebastian's t-shirt peeking out from under Elliott's heavy jacket.

Elliott looked between them, trying to work something out. "Would you um...care to explain?"

Sebastian had to tear his eyes away from Kurt to focus on Elliott. "My room, please?" he suggested, nodding towards the door he had just come from. Then he turned back to the couch.

"I'm sorry, Kurt. This will only take a minute."

Sebastian looked at Elliott, who was staring at Kurt again, and cleared his throat. Elliott snapped out of it and quickly followed him into his bedroom. Sebastian closed the door behind him.

"Okay," he started, "I guess you have questions."

Elliott let out an excited noise and scoffed. "Just_ a few!" _he said sarcastically, putting his hands on his hips.

"First of all, when were you going to tell me that you know Kurt Hummel? _ How long _ have you known him? And what the hell is he doing on _ our couch?"_

"Look, I just- ...I wouldn't really say I _ know _ him," Sebastian started, "we only went on this one date, sort of, and I hadn't seen him since! Then he came here yesterday and needed a place to stay-"

"Wait, wait wait, hold - the fuck - up! You went on a _ date _ with him?" Elliot let out. His brain felt like it was going to explode. "I can't believe you kept this a secret from me! This is, like, _ vital _roommate information!"

"I'm sorry! It was just one night, and we didn't exactly part on-"

"Oh my god! You had a _ one night stand _ with Kurt Hummel?!" Elliott interrupted, sounding outraged and awed at the same time.

Sebastian's eyes flashed. "No," he said tersely. "I _ didn't _ have sex with him!"

Elliott shook his head. "Okay. Okay." He nodded and pursed his lips. "You have exactly two minutes to tell me _ everything! _ When the date was, what happened and why he is currently sleeping on our couch and not in your _ bed. _ Have you even _ seen _the pictures? My god, what that mouth could-"

"Please don't," Sebastian cut him off. "There's something you should know about that."

Quietly, Sebastian filled Elliott in. "...and now those pictures are all over the internet for people to gawk at, even though they were never intended to be seen by anyone but his partner," Sebastian finished. "And no, to answer your question: I haven't seen them."

The look in Elliott's eyes told him he was feeling very conflicted.

"You couldn't know," Sebastian offered. "Plenty of celebs post their own nudes for publicity and then pretend they were hacked. All we can do now is not spread them around."

He shook his head. "You should have seen Kurt yesterday, Ells. He was devastated about it."

Elliott felt his heart break. "I can't even imagine...why would Blaine _ do _ something like that?"

He was in utter shock that someone could be that mean. Particularly to someone who had such an honest and heart-winning persona. He felt sick for having looked at them.

"Because he's an entitled little fuck," Sebastian growled, "and the fame got to his head. He thinks he can do whatever he wants." _ Including but not limited to forcing a kiss on someone in a room full of people after just being turned down, and faking an engagement,_ he added in his mind.

He shook his head. "We should get back in there. I'll introduce you. And Elliott?" He paused. "I'm sorry for not telling you. I guess I wanted to keep him for myself for a bit."

Elliott looked at his friend, surveying him for a moment. "I get it, I probably would have done the same...but it's just..._ Kurt Hummel, _ you know?"

"I know," Sebastian replied, smiling shyly.

* * *

** [a few hours later]**

"So, that was Elliott," Kurt concluded, looking out of the window to watch Elliott go off for the evening.

"Yep. That was Elliott..." Sebastian said, looking at Kurt's back from his seat on the couch. They had hung out together all afternoon, but now it was just the two of them again.

"I can't believe I beat Starchild _ and _ Kurt Hummel at Singstar karaoke and I can't even tell anyone about it!" Sebastian complained playfully.

Kurt laughed lightly. "He has a good voice! How has he not tried to get into music?"

"Oh, he is trying. But it turns out most groups that are looking for a singer are not looking for a one-man-band." Sebastian grinned. "He'll get there. He's too good not to be noticed."

He shot a look at Kurt. "Maybe you could put a good word in for him..."

Kurt nodded. "Oh, I definitely will!" He was already mentally thinking of what he could say and do to help Elliott. Maybe they could record something together. "You have a great voice too by the way," he added, nodding at Sebastian.

"I know," Sebastian agreed. "I mean, I did beat you at your own song!"

Kurt rolled his eyes and hid a smirk. "The version of the song they have on these things is so edited that it's not even like my own voice!"

"Sure, babe. Whatever helps you sleep at night!" Sebastian teased, and chuckled. It had been such a good afternoon, and he had the feeling Kurt had enjoyed himself too, a welcome distraction from his real life.

Kurt's heart fluttered a little.

Sebastian checked the time on his phone. "So...I was thinking...you could sleep in my bed tonight if you wanted." He paused. "I'd stay on the couch, I mean."

Kurt studied him, trying to detect a hidden meaning. "Are you sure? The couch was pretty comfortable...until Elliott happened." He grinned and stuck his tongue between his teeth.

"Oh, my bedroom's better. Five stars on Yelp, never had any complaints." Sebastian waggled his eyebrows, then gave it up and shook his head. "I just want you to be comfortable," he admitted. "Just so you might stay a bit longer."

Kurt smiled, feeling warm. "Okay."

"I'll just go change the bedding then," Sebastian offered, and got up.

A quick tidying up of his room later, it was ready for visitors. The idea made Sebastian giddy in a way it never had before. He had shoved his laundry into the closet, put away his laptop, looked for potentially embarrassing things under the bed (condom wrappers, pieces of clothing someone might have left); he had even checked the books by the bedside to make sure they didn't sound boring or uneducated.

"It's ready for you," he announced as he got back down. "Unless...you need anything else?"

Kurt looked up at Sebastian. He was already dressed in his sleep clothes. Kurt let his eyes drift over Sebastian's frame. There _ was _one thing he could do with...very much so, and it was staring at him with wide, green, inviting eyes.

"No, I'm okay thank you," he replied. It would be unfair of him to proposition Sebastian now. Sebastian had shown him nothing but respect and kindness. Jumping his bones would be an awfully tacky way to repay him.

"Goodnight then," Sebastian said, holding back all of the other things he wanted to say, and Kurt went into Sebastian's bedroom by himself.

* * *

A while later, Sebastian was still wide awake, unable to get the thought of Kurt in _ his _ bed out of his head. He pressed his face against the arm rest, breathing in deeply, imagining some of Kurt's scent from the night before lingered there. Suddenly, he sat up, feeling determined. Then, he changed his mind again and made himself lie back down.

He cursed his own insecurity. Where was it even coming from? He had _ never _ had any problems approaching a guy, always looking at it from a 'take it or leave it' angle. If they accepted, great; if not, their loss. But somehow it was different with Kurt. Sebastian _ had _ something to lose...his new friendship.

He sighed and stared into the dark. It was quiet in the apartment. What if Kurt was asleep already?

After ten more minutes, Sebastian got up. He _ had _to try. If Kurt rejected him, he'd just get over that, like last time. Well, maybe not exactly like last time, or he'd have Oliver to answer to. But anyway, he'd deal. Better that, than forever regretting it when Kurt left in the morning.

He walked to his bedroom and paused. He raised his hand to knock, lowered it again...

"Oh for fuck's sake," he cursed to himself, "just do it!". He raised his hand again to knock on the door.

Sebastian's hand had barely made contact with the wood when the door opened.

Kurt had been tossing and turning for over an hour, berating and second-guessing himself. _ Was he really so starved for closeness that his body was prepared to risk his new friendship for a quick romp in the sheets? _

But then he remembered Sebastian's shocking green eyes, the lilt to his smirk when Kurt did something amusing. The way his long fingers had looked wrapped around his coffee mug that morning and then, how great they'd look wrapped around something else.

With nerves high in his throat, Kurt had thrown the covers off, rolled out of bed and quickly crossed the distance to the door.

As he stared up at Sebastian now, (and god, who could know that being with someone taller than him could be a _ thing _after Blaine?) he saw the same longing mirrored in Sebastian's eyes.

They both opened their mouths to apologise and stopped, laughing lightly.

Sebastian licked his lips and Kurt's eyes tracked the movement. Kurt licked his own and, without thinking about it, leant up on his toes to kiss him.

Sebastian sighed against Kurt's lips, feeling the permission he had been seeking in the urgency of Kurt's kiss, and let his arms come up around him, pulling him closer. They kissed for a while, not moving away from the threshold, until they had to part to take a breath.

"Do you want to-" Kurt started, at the same time that Sebastian said "Can I-?"

"Yes," Sebastian replied.

_ "Yes, __"_ Kurt echoed with emphasis, and kissed him again. Without breaking the kiss, he dragged Sebastian into the bedroom, and Sebastian, his hands already pulling up the hem of Kurt's shirt, shut the door with his heel.


	9. Intruders

When Sebastian woke up, he was startled to find himself in his own bed and not on the couch. _ Holy shit. _ Last night had been _ real _ ? ****  
****

He opened his eyes and looked right at Kurt, lying on his back with the sheets pooled around his hips and one arm slung over his eyes. His chest rose and fell steadily, still fast asleep. He was so _ beautiful. _****  
****

Sebastian let out an incredulous huff of breath and just stared at him for a while. How did he ever get this lucky? Being with someone new wasn't usually this amazing - there were always quirks to ignore, tattoos in the wrong places or stuff you just weren't into but tolerated in order to get off- that's what one-night-stands were about. But with Kurt? Sebastian hadn't needed any of that. Every part of Kurt was perfect and they were on the same wavelength right from the start. The whole night had been a chorus of _ yes yes yes. _****  
****

Kurt felt himself pulled from sleep, memories of the night before flooding his mind instantly. It had been quite a night and he still wasn't sure that it hadn't been a dream. He slowly lowered his arm and blinked his eyes open, taking a moment to let his eyes adjust to the light flooding in through the large window. He looked to his side and was met with Sebastian green eyes looking back at him. Kurt sucked in a breath at how _ bright _ they were first thing in the morning. Definitely not a dream. ****  
****

"Hey," Kurt said with a smile. ** **  
****

"Hey yourself," Sebastian replied, reaching out to brush a finger over Kurt's cheekbone. He noticed a dark hickey on Kurt's throat and ghosted his finger over the mark. "I'm sorry about that," he whispered.** **  
****

Kurt shivered at the touch and lifted his own hand up to his neck. "Don't be, you found my weak spot."** **  
****

Sebastian's eyes glittered and he licked his lips. "I'll be more careful next time," he promised, hoping that there would be one.** **  
****

Kurt smirked. "You'd better." Then his smile faded a little. "Do you want there to be a next time?" he asked, sounding a little unsure.** **  
****

Sebastian raised his eyebrows. "Of course! Kurt, last night was-" He let out a frustrated breath at the lack of words. "It was amazing."** **  
****

"Maybe that is my strategy," Kurt said softly. "Raise the bar and then leave, keeping you hoping I might come back- so you'd feel less inclined to talk to the press about it."** **  
****

Sebastian frowned. "I...don't believe that," he said, a little uncertainly. "You're not like that."** **  
****

"How would you know?" Kurt whispered.** **  
****

"I don't," Sebastian admitted. "But I'm no stranger to _love 'em and leave 'em_, and you don't seem like the type." ****  
****

Kurt paused, then offered him a small smile. "I'm not," he agreed. "But if I was smart, that's what I should have done with Blaine, rather than let him into my life." He paused. "I gave him the opportunity to find out that I can't always be at my best, and it wasn't enough for him."** **  
****

Sebastian could hear the pain and regret behind his statement and longed to make it better. "You forgot one thing," he reminded Kurt.** **  
****

"Oh?" ** **  
****

"I have already seen you at your worst, and it didn't deter me. I _ get _ that you can't always be a superstar, especially not here-" he gestured at the bed, "and there's gonna be times where you just want to fall asleep on the couch with the tv on. Do you think I don't do that?" ****  
****

Kurt shrugged.** **  
****

"Well, I do," Sebastian assured him. "Sorry to bust your bubble."** **  
****

Kurt smiled a little, and Sebastian couldn't help but reach out again to caress his face. ** **  
****

"I'm sorry he made you feel like that. And if you don't feel comfortable making this - us- into something more, then…" Sebastian took a deep breath and made himself continue. "I will respect that. I'll...miss you, but I'll accept it. I won't tell anyone either way. Not the press, I mean. I'm pretty sure Elliott is gonna squeeze it out of me at some point."** **  
****

Kurt smirked. "Yeah, he would, I guess." He sighed. "Maybe we shouldn't overthink it, and just see how it goes."** **  
****

"I'm fine with that," Sebastian agreed, feeling relieved. ** **  
****

Kurt let his eyes travel over Sebastian's skin. He was covered in freckles. "Has anyone ever told you you look like a dot-to-dot?"** **  
****

"Yeah, I've heard it before," Sebastian replied, looking down on his skin. "I don't get the fascination, to be honest, but you're welcome to try and figure out what it means...I have quite a few down there-" He playfully lifted the sheet off his hips.** **  
****

Kurt grinned at him and peeked down the covers. ** **  
****

"Mmm, it certainly is a treasure trail," he said with a smirk.** **  
****

"The best pirate booty is buried deep," Sebastian replied, tried to keep a straight face, then snorted. "Oh god, the jolly roger puns, I can't even-!" ** **  
****

* * *

The best way to stop Sebastian's awful puns, as Kurt found out, was to keep his mouth otherwise occupied. It worked quite well. A long while later, when all of the pirate jokes were blown from Sebastian's mind, it was not his mouth that made a sound, but his rumbling belly. ** **  
****

"Sorry," Sebastian said, looking down his body. "I guess it's getting time for breakfast. Well. Second breakfast, anyway." He winked at Kurt and sat up, casting his eyes around for his underwear. "Elliott's probably still asleep, I'm gonna grab us something from the kitchen. Be right back." He reached for his boxer briefs and padded to the fridge. As he was halfway there, the doorbell rang. ** **  
****

Sebastian glanced at the clock and frowned. Whoever it was, he was going to get rid of them. He was hungry, and he wanted to get back to bed and Kurt, too.** **  
****

As he opened the door, a dozen mobile phones were thrust at his face, the cameras flashing. Voices all clamoured at him at once, and people were pushing in, trying to get a foot in the door. For a moment, Sebastian didn't understand.** **  
****

_ "Is Kurt Hummel staying here?" _

_ "Did he spend the night?" _

_ "Are you gay?" _****  
****

Suddenly, Sebastian did understand. "Go away!" he snarled. "This is private property! I don't want you here!"** **  
****

As he lay waiting, Kurt went over their conversation in his head. The thought of making this more than a one night stand was tempting, but he was also afraid. He had lost so much already, he wasn't sure he could afford getting attached. But then, if he was honest with himself, he probably already was. Why else had he come here? He wanted to be with Sebastian, be part of his life, share his bed and his popcorn evenings and lazy mornings and hang out with his sister and his friends and their dog. He wanted all of it.** **  
****

When Sebastian didn't return with breakfast, Kurt decided he'd go offer to lend a hand. He shuffled out of bed and grabbed Sebastian's robe from its hook on the door - he didn't see the need to get dressed if they would be spending the day in bed.** **  
****

Feeling giddy at the spark of a new romance, Kurt wrapped the robe around himself and hurried out of the room.** **  
****

As he walked into the living space, he heard voices downstairs. Sebastian had his head peeked round the door and was keeping it as shut as possible.** **  
****

"I don't want you here," Sebastian said, trying to shut the door. ** **  
****

Kurt frowned. Maybe it was a Jehovah's Witness. Well, they were in for a surprise! ** **  
****

He walked down the stairs and wrapped his arm around Sebastian, peeking his head over his shoulder.** **  
****

"Sorry, we don't want to be saved today, we've got a sex marathon we have to get back to."** **  
****

The crowd in front of the door was silent for a moment - then roared to life with questions. Sebastian shut the door on all of them, and turned around in Kurt's arms to look at him with wide eyes. He wasn't sure what to say. The situation with the pictures had just gotten _ much _ worse. ****  
****

Kurt stood stock still, his mouth wide open in shock. His brain couldn't quite process what had just happened.** **  
****

_ Shit. _****  
****

Sebastian was staring at him, his eyes wide. "Kurt," he started. ** **  
****

Kurt shook his head. Then he looked at Sebastian.** **  
****

"They got a picture of you looking like that?" he asked in a hoarse voice.** **  
****

Sebastian looked down at his naked chest and boxers.** **  
****

"And me like this…" Kurt mumbled, considering his robe, and I said..." He swayed.** **  
****

_ Double shit. _****  
****

Sebastian frowned. "Yeah, in retrospect, that might not have been the best thing to tell them…" he mused out loud.

Kurt snapped. "Well, how the fuck was I supposed to know that hundreds of reporters would be swarmed outside your fucking doorway on a Sunday morning?!"

"Oh, but it was fine to tell _ other _ Sunday callers you're having a _ sex marathon_?" Sebastian bit back. "I mean, what the fuck, Kurt?"

"I thought they were Jehovah's Witnesses," Kurt snarled back.

"And that makes it _ okay_?" Sebastian let out incredulously.

"Oh god, what am I gonna do?" Kurt gasped, ignoring Sebastian. "This is a _ nightmare! _ How did they find me?"

Sebastian shrugged helplessly. "I didn't tell anyone. I was with you the whole time."

Kurt shook his head. "It must have been Elliott!"

Sebastian's jaw dropped. "What? Why? He wouldn't do that!" he protested. Elliott had _ met _ Kurt, had heard his side of the story. He would never sell him out. ****  
****

"Wouldn't he?" Kurt asked. His eyes flashed dangerously.** **  
****

"No!" Sebastian protested.** **  
****

"Well, who else could it have been?" Kurt snapped back.** **  
****

"Well, I...I mean…" Sebastian started, looking around as if someone would pop out of thin air to take the blame. "I don't know," he confessed. His heart sank a little. What a mess.** **  
****

"Breakfast?" he offered lamely.** **  
****

"Breakfast!?" Kurt screeched. "My life is falling apart thanks to your idiot roommate and all you can suggest is _ breakfast! _ ?" ****  
****

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I don't know what else to do!" Sebastian yelled back.** **  
****

"What are you all shouting about?" Elliott asked, walking out from his bedroom with smudged make-up, messy hair and a short, silk leopard-spot robe. "It's Sunday, guys."** **  
****

"What did you do?" Kurt shouted at him. "There are _ hundreds _ of reporters outside! You're the only one that's been out of this apartment the last two days! Spill! Who did you tell I was here?" ****  
****

Eliott blinked. _ Reporters? _ As if to assure himself he had understood Kurt correctly, he started towards the door, but both Kurt and Sebastian jumped in front of it. ****  
****

"Don't!" Sebastian said. "You'll make it worse."** **  
****

He heard Kurt scoff beside him, clearly of the opinion that it _ couldn't _ get worse. Sebastian silently disagreed. In the eyes of most tabloid readers, _ two _ half-naked guys were usually worse than one, especially if one looked at debauched as Elliott. ****  
****

"What happened?" Elliott asked. As Sebastian explained the situation, Elliott shook his head. "I didn't tell anyone you were here, Kurt," he said. "But some guys at the club were going on about your pictures, they were like 'if he didn't want his nudes to get leaked he shouldn't have sent them' and all that. And then this guy implied you leaked them _ on purpose _ and I was like 'look, I met the guy just _ hours _ ago and he's devastated, he'd never-" ****  
****

Elliott broke off as he realised what he had said.** **  
****

Kurt let out a cry of annoyance, dread running down his back like cold water. "And obviously your little club friends put two and two together...how could you be so _ stupid_?" ****  
****

Elliott opened his mouth, paused, then closed it again. "I didn't know they were reporters," he said quietly.** **  
****

"They probably weren't, but they _ sold _ their information, Elliott. Do you not know how these things work?!" Kurt said angrily, pointing a finger at Sebastian's roommate. ****  
****

"Well, _ you _ came to _ our _ house, pal-" Elliott started. ****  
****

Sebastian stepped in between them to try and calm everyone down. "Come on, guys," he said. "It was an honest mistake. It's gonna be okay. We'll just stay inside for a bit and then they'll leave and find someone else to stalk. I mean, yeah, this really sucks, but on a scale of one to ten...It's just tabloids, it's not like anyone takes those seriously-"** **  
****

Kurt let out a noise and rounded on Sebastian.** **  
****

"Just tabloids?" He scoffed. "Get with the times, Sebastian! It's not just tabloids. This is _ hundreds _ of people with immediate internet access. These pictures will be all over social media, re-tweeted, shared and reblogged millions of times within _ seconds. _ Even if the original pictures get taken down, there will be a record of it. The internet never forgets!" ****  
****

"Doesn't every star have some kind of scandal attached to their name?" Elliott said. "Sextapes were quite a hype for a while. Honestly I wish I could bleach my mind of some of them..."** **  
****

Sebastian smirked a little at the expression on his roommate's face.** **  
****

"Yeah? And when was the last time Paris Hilton got cast in a serious role or was given credit for _ anything _ other than being a party girl?" Kurt countered. "People still don't take her seriously despite everything she's done, just because of that one video!" He was hysterical now. ****  
****

"I've already had private pictures leaked of me that were never supposed to be anything other than a private joke between me and my boyfriend, and now _ this _ on top of that? Them knowing I was here, having sex with some random guy three days after my public break-up?" ****  
****

Sebastian frowned. _ Random guy? _ He knew how Kurt felt about the pictures, but he didn't think it was entirely fair to blame this morning on _ him_. ****  
****

"Well, actually, they didn't know you were here until _ you _ confirmed it," he reminded Kurt. "I was trying to send them off!" ****  
****

"Oh _ sure_," Kurt scoffed. "Or maybe I just interrupted you bragging about me. I mean, this is great for you isn't it? I'm sure sales will go through the roof now. Let's go and buy sheet music from the guy who fucked Kurt Hummel." ****  
****

Sebastian's jaw dropped. "That's _ really _ fucking unfair, Kurt. I would never do that! And besides, as I recall, _ you _ were the one who-" ****  
****

"Guys, it's up on Buzzfeed," Elliott announced, holding up his phone. "No mention of me, though. Rude, I live here too!"** **  
****

Kurt snatched Elliott's phone off him and stared at the screen. The pictures couldn't have been worse if they tried.** **  
****

Sebastian's naked chest and bed-ruffled hair, Kurt's arms around him, his disheveled face peeking out from the side. The robe had slipped down exposing his bare shoulder so it looked like he was wearing nothing. The hickey on his neck stood out like an exclamation point.** **  
****

"What a fucking disaster."** **  
****

Sebastian sighed. "Maybe we should just calm down and get dressed. We can't do anything about it now anyway, and there are worse things in the world-"** **  
****

"Like kids who can't afford school lunches," Elliott suggested helpfully. "Or the blatant racism in the United States punitive system."** **  
****

"Or our dumpster fire of a president," Sebastian added.** **  
****

Kurt shook his head. "You really don't get it..." he sighed defeated. "I have to go."** **  
****

He pushed Elliott's phone back into his hand and sprinted upstairs. It didn't take him long to get dressed and collect his things - he hadn't had much with him to start with.** **  
****

A quick call to his dad was enough to set Burt in motion and not long after there was another knock at the door. Kurt, Sebastian and Elliot has been sitting in silence since Kurt made the call. As the fist knocked again, Kurt stood up.** **  
****

"Are you sure you want to get out there?" Sebastian asked carefully.** **  
****

"I'm sure I want to get out of _ here_," Kurt said grimly, and opened the door. His dad and three of his tire shop mechanics shielded the door from view. ****  
****

"You okay, kiddo?" Burt asked, looking from Kurt to Sebastian and Elliott.** **  
****

Kurt bit his lip and nodded. He cast a final look at Sebastian and then looked back to his dad.** **  
****

"I just want to go home."** **  
****

Burt nodded. "Come on then." ** **  
****

One of the guys handed Kurt a pair of sunglasses and threw an oversized jacket over him, hiding his face. Together, the four men herded him through the crowd and away from Sebastian.** **  
****

Sebastian watched him for a moment, but then quickly shut the door after realising people were taking pictures of him. _ Such creeps_. ****  
****

He ran a hand through his hair and looked at Elliott, not sure how to comment on what had just happened. One moment, he was living a dream, the next, a nightmare.** **  
****

"I'm so sorry," Elliott said. "I didn't think it through."** **  
****

Sebastian shook his head. "I know." He sighed. "It was too good to last anyway."** **  
****

Elliott's eyes twinkled. "_That _ good, huh?" ****  
****

Sebastian groaned. "Oh my god, Ells. I can't even tell you. It was amazing." ** **  
****

Elliott raised his eyebrow and smirked, silently asking for details, but Sebastian shook his head.** **  
****

It hadn't just been about the sex, though that really had been mind-blowing. It was the fact that for the first time in five years, Sebastian had finally met someone he _ really _ connected with. Things were easy with Kurt, like they'd been _ them _ for years. And as quickly as it had come, it was whisked away again. ****  
****

He almost wished it _ hadn't _ happened, because he was sure he'd never find someone like Kurt again. It would have been better not to know what he'd be missing. ****  
****

The ironing board fell down in front of the door. Sebastian nodded his head bitterly as he took in the message. _ It's over, he's never coming back. _


	10. Sanctuary

**Six weeks later**

The gentle sound of the waves lapping over the sand resonated through Kurt as he walked along the shore. The waves splashed cold against his feet and the sun shone hot down onto his naked chest. He could almost _ feel _the vitamin D rejuvenate his soul.

He looked around at the deserted beach and breathed easily. Not another person in sight. Taking himself away from civilisation for a month had been the best decision he'd ever made. After all the issues with Blaine, Sebastian and the media, Kurt had really needed an escape. Somewhere off the grid, where no one knew who he was and where no one could find him.

He'd told this to his manager and she delivered, finding him a private villa on Peter Island. Aside from the occasional tourist travelling over to spend a day taking in the breathtaking sights, Kurt hadn't seen or spoken to another living soul for almost five weeks.

He hadn't been completely idle the whole time either; the villa came with a baby grand piano, and he'd definitely put it through its paces - he'd never written an entire album so quickly.

* * *

The sound of a boat motor penetrated Kurt's mind and he turned around towards the noise. A Mexican woman in her early fifties was steering towards the small dock by the villa and Kurt felt his stomach rumble in answer.

Saturday already? His weekly food delivery was here.

He held up a hand in greeting as she climbed out of the boat and he slowly started to make his way back towards the house.

* * *

A little while later, once the house keeper had left, Kurt made his way onto the terrace to eat his lunch. Today it was smoked salmon salad.

He took a bite of food and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Saturday was his day to get in touch with his family and his manager Claire, to let them all know he was okay - the rest of the week his phone was switched off.

It took a moment for the phone to load, and within minutes it exploded with notifications. Mainly from Claire - everyone else knew to not contact him.

There were missed calls, text messages and emails, all becoming more frantic as he went through them.

Kurt swallowed his food, a sinking feeling in his stomach. What had happened? With a shaking hand, he pressed the phone icon next to Claire's name and held the phone up to his ear.

"Kurt, I've been trying to reach you all week! What happened? Why didn't you check in last week? I tried to ask your people there but hardly any of them speak English and- oh my god. Are you okay?" Claire rattled off, sounding stressed.

Kurt's eyes widened as Claire spoke. _ Missed check in? _

"Woah, Claire,calm down! I'm fine. It's Saturday today and I'm talking to you, I know I didn't call this morning but there were dolphins out by the rocks and I wanted to see them."

"It's been _ two weeks_, Kurt. It's the middle of August. Your dad has been driving me crazy!"

Kurt frowned. _"Two weeks?" _He racked his brain trying to think back to the last conversation he had with his manager. He'd been sitting right here, enjoying the delicious tamales his housekeeper had brought, which were so good he had asked her to bring again the week after...He looked down on his salad.

"Shit, Claire I'm so sorry, I must have lost track of time...days don't really matter here."

"Yeah, I guess it wouldn't if you can afford it," Claire remarked, slightly mollified. "But when are you coming home? It's not like you to take such long breaks from work. Is it...are you okay? Do you have company there?"

Kurt rolled his eyes a little. "No, I don't have company...unless you count the dolphins that like jumping around by the rocks..." He paused. "I'm fine, I am working, in fact. I've written pretty much the whole album."

"What? Really?" Claire let out, suddenly sounding eager rather than worried. "When can we record? Shall I book studio times?" The dollar signs in her eyes were audible.

Kurt sighed. "Not yet - I'm not ready to come back to reality yet, Claire...it's so peaceful here."

It was quiet for a moment on the other end.

"Could you at least send me some holiday selfies for your account?" Claire asked. "We should stay relevant, honey. You have your brand to think about. I'm sure you're super tan by now, too."

Kurt looked down at his bronze skin, a definite improvement to alabaster white. He ghosted his fingers over his throat, which had no more marks on it.

"Fine, but no location tags!" he said reluctantly. He knew he couldn't stay hidden forever, particularly if he wanted to sell more music. "Give me another week, and I'll come home okay?"

"No tags, girl scout's honour. I'll arrange for a pick up and a flight for next Saturday, then. We can do a little press release about your creative getaway and the new material - And maybe a little welcome home party? The usual suspects?"

Kurt sighed. He knew he had to give her something to do. "Yeah okay, with one obvious obliteration from the list."

"Of course." Claire paused.

"I'm doing this in your best interest, Kurt. I know it feels forced to host when you don't feel like partying, but if you want your new album to be a hit, you have to socialise. Fake it until you make it, right?"

Kurt bit his lip. "Right."

He leant back in his chair and looked out at the sea. He really didn't want to give it up, but he knew he couldn't hide forever.

"If I'm coming back, you better bring me up to date with what's been going on. I haven't checked social media or even the news since I got here...what have I missed?"

Claire let out a deep sigh. "Well...with you pretty much disappearing off the face of the earth, the leeches found a new source of blood. They delved a little deeper around your rebound boy - or rather, found some people willing to show them the catacombs. It was pretty nasty. But you know how it is, most of it's probably not even true...people will say anything for money, especially about an ex…"

Kurt frowned. They had interviewed Sebastian's ex-boyfriends?

"You really did seem to have picked a bit of a player, honey. The dirt is...well. Dirty," Claire continued. "Did you know he was in a car accident that paralysed one of his boyfriends?"

As Claire spoke Kurt felt his blood pressure drop. They'd pulled Sebastian apart...and by the sounds of it, Olli too.

"Oliver," he whispered. "Yeah, I did know...I met him."

"Is he really paralysed?"

"Yes," Kurt confirmed, feeling awful.

"Oh. _ Really?_ Wow, it sounded so dramatic, I figured the truth was probably closer to a little fender-bender," Claire mused.

_ Dramatic? _ "What...are they saying about it?" Kurt asked, bracing himself.

"Well, you know, they're not saying anything _ specific, _ but combined with all of the club stories about your boy, a DUI is heavily implied-"

_"What? _ That's not what happened-!" Kurt let out. "Sebastian wasn't even driving the car!"

"But yeah, the paps…" Claire trailed off.

Kurt felt sick to his stomach. They were blaming _ Sebastian? _ Like he didn't already blame himself enough. Kurt couldn't imagine what he and Olli had to be going through, having their past dragged up like that. And Adrian too. All of them- and it was his fault.

Before he could say anything, his manager casually confirmed his thoughts.

"That's what you get for dating someone famous; I mean, no offence, but he should have known _ that _booty call comes at a price, right?"

Kurt scowled a little at her insinuations. "Are you saying he _ deserved _ to get his name and reputation, his whole _ life_, dragged through the dirt just for sleeping with me? I don't care if Sebastian has been with one person or a hundred. He's still a human being and deserves some fucking privacy. Just like I do."

"Yeah, but, you know how people are, Kurt. People with a past like that don't become president," Claire replied, a little snippy.

Kurt scowled. "Actually, I think if you look back over previous presidents, particularly our current one, you'll see that they've got more than a few skeletons in their closets, _ Claire_. And they're a lot worse than having a few one-night-stands."

Claire sighed. "I know, I know. And I'm not judging you for your choices. I've seen the pictures of this guy, I totally get it. Everyone loves a bad boy. Don't worry about it. Once your new album is out, the press will forget all about him, and I'm sure that despite everything, he'd agree it was worth it. I mean, you're Kurt Hummel! He'll have that story to tell for a lifetime."

Kurt shook his head. Everything she said just made it worse.

Sebastian _ wouldn't _ talk about them, he'd promised! But that was before Kurt had blamed him for everything that wasn't his fault; before the media had tried to shame him and imply he had maimed Oliver-

Mistaking his silence for regrets, Claire added: "You'll find someone better, Kurt, someone who isn't-"

"I am gonna stop you there," Kurt cut her off. "He is an amazing person and I still care about him, so I'd watch what you say...You work for _ me, _remember? Not the other way around."

"I'm sorry. I'll do better to remember that," Claire replied, sounding subdued.

"I've got to...erm…" She trailed off, clearly anxious to end the call. "So...beach selfies? And could you call your dad, please? Like I said, he's worried. And I'll...get started on arranging your return."

Kurt bit his lip. He already felt guilty. He didn't like pulling rank on Claire. She was a good friend and manager. Breezy as she could be, he needed someone like her to handle the shallow side of show business, and he knew she cared about him in her own way. But he hated slut-shaming and would do everything he could to stop it.

"I will. Claire...I'm sorry I've been MIA. I'll WhatsApp you some selfies and I promise to call my dad."

"Thank you. I can't wait to see you again, Kurt. We all miss you."

"Thanks." Kurt hung up, and looked back out over the sea.

He spotted a disturbance in the water and a spray of water spurted up in the air. It made him smile. He'd miss this place, that was for sure, but he also realised now how wrong it had been for him to run away.

He'd been hurt, yes; embarrassed too. But his anger had been directed entirely at the wrong person. It hadn't been Sebastian's fault, Kurt knew that now (if he was honest with himself, he'd known that from the moment he left the apartment).

By leaving so suddenly, Kurt had protected himself, but left Sebastian and everyone else he cared about open for scrutiny. He felt guilt rush over him and his heart sank to his stomach.

He had to make things better. He had to make it up to everyone, and put the slimebag reporters back in their place.

He had one final song to write.


	11. Wicked Game

**[April...again]**

"Okay, we're almost there," Adrian announced, breathing hard. Sebastian just grunted.

"You boys really need to exercise more," Oliver commented, looking smug as they heaved his wheelchair up the last steps to Alice's new apartment. "This is pathetic, honestly."

"It is," Sebastian agreed. "We've been letting ourselves go, Ade."

"Yeah, well," Adrian argued in between breaths, _"I'm _ married to a Michelin star-rated chef, what's your excuse?"

Oliver and Sebastian exchanged a brief look, and Sebastian shrugged to show he was fine. "My good genes have made me lazy," he said casually, and the moment passed.

Adrian and Sebastian put the chair down on the landing and took a moment to catch their breaths. "So this is the new place?" Adrian said. "I'm curious what she's done with it."

Sebastian smirked, knowing that no matter what Alice did, Adrian was sure to have some pointers. Adrian was as critical of his friends' interior design as Oliver was about their food. They were a match made in heaven.

"It's cute," he said. "I helped her move in. It's got enough room for her, her ego and the two cats."

"What more could a girl want?" Adrian said.

"It could use a stair-lift," Oliver mused.

The door opened.

"Hey guys, I heard you come up."

They looked up as Alice emerged from inside. She had the signature Smythe smirk across her face. "Wow, you're really out of shape, aren't you?" She teased. "You're panting like you ran a marathon."

"Ha. Ha," Adrian mumbled.

"We brought cake!" Oliver offered, hoping to change the subject. "Happy birthday, Alice!"

He held up a large cake tin which he'd been carrying and handed it to her.

"Oh, thank god!" Alice let out as she took it from him. "I was afraid I would need to serve you the atrocity _ I _ tried to bake, and you'd go all Gordon Ramsey on me."

"I wouldn't do that on your birthday," Oliver said kindly.

Alice beamed and stepped aside to let them him. Sebastian walked up and kissed her cheek.

"Happy birthday, sis."

"Thanks, babe." Alice looked at him. "You okay?"

"I am," Sebastian said with a nod. "Just, you know, that chair is really damn heavy."

Alice nodded. "Alex is gonna be late, he's stuck at work. Drinks, anyone?"

"We brought you a bottle of wine, too," Oliver said, handing her a bag. "And Mr Pup sends his love. But only to you, not to the cats." He winked.

"I'm sure the cats don't care either way," Alice said happily. "But tell him they said hi anyway just so he feels guilty a little."

"I will. Now show me your place! I hope it's more accessible than the entry," Oliver teased.

"I'm so sorry about that," Alice said. "We should have had the party at your place..."

"And rob Ade of an opportunity to criticise your indoor decorating? He'd sulk for weeks!"

"Would _ not!" _ Adrian sulked.

Sebastian watched the exchange and felt his heart go soft. He tried to convince himself that his family was complete like this.

* * *

"The fun has arrived!" Alex sang as he entered Alice's apartment a little while later. "I have whiskey, cheesecake and Cards Against Humanity."

Adrian took Alex's carrier bag from him and shut the door behind his friend.

Alex took off his coat and walked through to the small living room where everyone had gathered for pre-dinner drinks.

"Woah Al, this place is awesome!" he said, stopping in his tracks.

Alice beamed at him. "Thanks."

The walls had been painted a pale green; which gave the small space a light, airy feel. Bright artwork hung on the walls and was accentuated by the bright blue sofa.

"I got most of the furniture from the flea market and the big painting was a gift from a friend." She smiled at Adrian. "And Ade just fixed the shelf unit."

Adrian shrugged. "You almost had it assembled correctly, it just needed fine tuning."

Alex nodded in agreement and handed Alice a messily wrapped gift. "Now, before I put my foot in it again," he announced, "...do we have any famous people here this year?" He looked around the apartment as if expecting someone to jump out at them.

_"Alex _," Alice said, taking the gift and frowning at him. She started ripping open the paper, shaking her head a little at his lack of tact.

"What? I just don't want to embarrass anyone by not recognising Beyoncé or whoever," Alex said, shrugging.

Sebastian smirked, pushing the memories of last year far down. "Give yourself a little more credit, Al," he said. "I'm sure even _ you _ would recognise Beyoncé." He opened his arms wide. "But as you can see, it's just us tonight."

"Alright," he said, leaning down to hug Alice. "Happy Birthday Al."

"Thanks. You're the best, I love this!" She placed the yellow beret he had given her on her head and pushed it slightly to the side.. "How do I look?" she added, making a kiss pose.

"French," Alex said. "I thought you might like it."

"I do. So much." She got up to get him a drink and showed him the books Sebastian had given her and the amazing looking cake Oliver and Adrian had brought. When everyone was back at the table, Alex took out his card game.

"So, Cards Against Humanity?" Oliver asked.

"Hell yeah, we all need a bit of controversy in our lives," Alex said, then looked at Sebastian. "I mean- the _ fun _kind."

"It's fine, Alex, relax. I'm fine," Sebastian assured him. It had been almost a year, and he hoped his friends would stop tiptoeing around him soon.

* * *

"...the President's browser history!" Alex announced triumphantly, slamming down his card.

Everyone howled with laughter. Alice wiped a tear from the corner of her eyes. "Oh my god, that is just perfect, hold on." She whipped out her phone, lined up the cards and took a picture.

Sebastian chuckled and got up to pour them some more drinks, putting a hand on Alice's shoulder and squeezing softly as he passed her. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Oh, by the way: I have some news!" Alice said as Sebastian topped up their glasses. "A curator of a gallery in New York found my website and wants to give me an exhibition! He's flying me out there next month to meet with him."

"What! That's amazing!" Adrian let out.

"It is," Sebastian said nodding. "Is he legit, though? I mean, I don't want you flying out there to some dude you've never met-"

"I'm an adult, thanks, Seb," Alice replied. "_ Yes _, he's legit. He's also hella gay so I'm sure he'll be more interested in my little brother than in me..."

Sebastian huffed and looked at Oliver.

"Forget it, I'm Switzerland," Oliver declared diplomatically.

"It's my _ birthday,"_ Alice said indignantly, "you should be on _ my _ side!"

Hoping to appease them, Adrian quickly raised his glass. "To Alice, birthday girl and soon to be celebrated featured artist in the Big Apple!"

"To Alice!" the others echoed.

"Okay, new cards!" Alex announced. He gave them a shuffle. "This new deck is pretty good so far, huh?"

"A bit rude," Adrian commented.

"We love rude, though," Oliver added with a grin.

_"Oh! _ Mine are golden," Alice said, hopping in her seat.

While the others rejoiced, Sebastian stared at the words on his cards, feeling his insides turn to lead.

Oliver noticed the slight change to Sebastian, even if no one else had. He tried to catch his friend's eye and raised an eyebrow at Sebastian when he succeeded. _ Are you okay?_

Sebastian shrugged in response and looked away.

Oliver bit his lip and breathed out slowly through his nose. This last year had been difficult for Sebastian; for all of them in a way, but Sebastian had taken the biggest hit. No matter what he said, or how well he tried to play it up that he was fine and over the whole thing, they all knew the truth.

Seeing the visible pain and discomfort in his friend's eyes now, felt like a physical pain to Oliver. Something in Sebastian's cards had caused his façade to shatter, and it made Oliver's stomach plummet. The others didn't notice, though Adrian's hand found his under the table.

"Okay," Adrian said, picking up a black card. He was dealer this turn. _"What are my parents hiding from me? _"

"The aliens in area 51!" Alex said, slapping down his card.

"...uh...my grandfather's ashes, apparently," Alice said, looking slightly disturbed.

"Oh gooooodddd," Oliver groaned, and put down his card. "A sextape involving horses."

"Eeew!"

Sebastian pushed one of his cards below the others and looked at his other options. He didn't want to ruin his sister's party.

"NC-17 rated Sesame Street fanfiction," he said triumphantly.

"Who- I don't even wanna _ know,"_ Oliver said shaking his head.

Adrian observed all the white cards, laughing. "I gotta give this one to Seb...definitely the most disturbing."

"Aww man," Alex said slumping his chair.

Sebastian relaxed. That meant he could deal next. "Alright, alright..._The best way to enjoy [blank] is to mix it with [blank]. _ Two cards, guys."

"And girl," Alice added, leafing through her cards.

"And girl," Sebastian corrected as they all shuffled through their cards.

"Okay," Alice said once they were all ready. "The best way to enjoy 'The Naked Doughnut Run', is to mix it with 'A Wal-Mart Rampage'."

Everyone laughed.

"The best way to enjoy 'The pink goop in Chicken McNuggets', is to mix it with Cat Urine," Alex said triumphantly.

"Ewwwww," they all shuddered.

"That's just gross," Alice said.

"How about the best way to enjoy 'fucking the weatherman on live television' is by mixing it with 'grandma'? Adrian said.

"No! No, no, no!" Oliver protested. "Adrian, you swine."

"I can't help it, it's the cards!" Adrian said. "What about yours?"

Oliver sighed. "The best way to enjoy Playboy's centerfold is to mix it with...papercuts."

"Owww," Sebastian let out sympathetically.

Alex winced exaggeratedly.

"It's got to be the urine," Sebastian said. "It's gross but not disturbing."

They played a few more rounds, and their white stacks got thinner.

"New cards?" Sebastian suggested.

"Nah, let's just finish these," Alex said. "I saved the best one for last."

Alice drew the black card and lay it face up on the table. _"My last relationship ended because of..."_

Alex yelled triumphantly. "Person to person fecal transplants."

Sebastian sighed. He had hoped they'd grow tired of the game before now- but he was down to his very last card and it was one he really did _ not _ want to play, especially not to this question.

Half-heartedly stalling, he waited for the rest to play.

"Mad cow's disease!"

"Child protective services."

All of them looked at him expectantly.

"How about we call it a night, guys?" Sebastian suggested weakly.

Oliver caught the look on his face and felt his heart tighten. He knew this card had to be the reason for his mood switch earlier.

"Aww come on Seb!" Alex said. "It doesn't matter if the card is shit, just play it anyway."

"No, I've had enough. This is childish," Sebastian said, putting his card down with the text facing the table. He reached for his glass of whiskey and drained it.

"Seb?" Alice started uncertainly.

"I said I was _ fine,_ Alice," Sebastian snapped. "Leave me the fuck alone."

"Woah," Adrian said and opened his mouth to defend Alice. Oliver stilled him with a look.

"Seb," he said softly. "You've said you're fine so many times this evening I'm starting to think it isn't even a phrase anymore."

He placed a hand on his friend's arm. "You're clearly _ not _ fine. Is this the way you talk to your sister on her birthday? What is going on? You know you can talk to us..."

Sebastian glared at him, wanting to push all of them away so they would stop pressing where it hurt. "I _ am _ fine," he insisted. "But you know what's _ not _ fine?"

He picked up the card and flicked it to the middle of the table between his fingers, text side up.

_ What ended my last relationship? _

\- Kurt Hummel eating a banana.

Sebastian gestured at it. "How is this funny? How is this _ entertainment? _ Anderson, his so-called fanboy and _ soulmate, _ made Kurt the laughing stock of the nation. It's been almost a year since that story broke and it's still everywhere. It blew up so much that they put it in a fucking _ game__! _In print! For millions of people to use as a punchline. Kurt was right. It's never going to go away, ever. Just like Paris Hilton's sextape, Britney shaving her head, or my fucking one-night stands talking about my sexual preferences to anyone who would pay them for an account of their experience _ between the sheets." _

The group sat in silence, unable to come up with a response.

"I...didn't know that card was in there," Alex said quietly. "Really, I didn't. I only got it last week…"

"It doesn't matter," Sebastian said. "Whether you knew or not Alex, whether you picked up this edition or not, it doesn't matter. It's still out there, stored in a box in homes all over the world alongside cards like 'cat urine' and 'horse porn'."

"Seb," Alice started but Sebastian shook his head. He stood up and walked away from the table, heading towards the small balcony that looked out over the parking lot.

The group all looked at each other for a moment before Oliver sighed and followed his friend. He still didn't know what to say, but he knew Sebastian better than anyone else, even his sister. They all knew if there was anyone who could get him to really talk, it was Oliver.

"Room for one more?" he asked as he eased his chair over the threshold.

Sebastian breathed in sharply, but nodded. He knew he couldn't avoid them after what he had just said, and trying would only draw it out and ruin his sister's birthday more.

They sat in silence for a while and looked out at the cars below.

Oliver was the one to speak first. "Seb," he started but Sebastian cut him off.

"It's not fair Olli. This is _ exactly _ what Kurt was afraid of. I didn't get it back then, but _ now-"_

Oliver sighed. "I know."

"How can they get away with this? They just mess with people's lives, exploit the most radical parts and then go 'oh well, it's just a joke'?"

Oliver looked down at his hands and nodded, headlines and images flashing in front of his eyes. Sebastian wasn't just talking about Kurt now.

"I'm sorry," Sebastian sighed, deflating a little. "I know they wrote shit about you guys too," he offered. "I just...wasn't expecting to deal with it again today, you know? I was hoping to catch a break. Just _ one _day where I don't have to think about it. But maybe it's supposed to be this way. Kurt is certainly not getting a break like that, so why should I?"

Oliver sighed sadly. "I get it. I really do. I know this last year hasn't been easy for you, and this stupid game really hasn't helped...but we're your friends, Seb. We're here for you no matter what. I thought you knew that by now...after everything we've been through."

Sebastian shrugged. "I know. I just...I feel stupid. Embarrassed. I fell hard for him, Olli. _ Twice. _ And both times, I managed to fuck it up. He's so far out of my league I just feel like everyone's just silently judging me. Like Icarus, I flew too close to the sun and I got burnt. Serves me right."

"Hey now," Oliver said. "That's not true and you know it. Seb, you're one of the best people I know, _ you're _ the one out of his league."

Sebastian huffed out a breath. "Yeah, well, _ you're _ biased," he countered, though he smiled a little. Looking into Oliver's eyes, he felt another pang of regret. "Didn't help us in the end though, did it?"

He knew it was a pathetic move, but he really did feel sorry for himself. He had fallen in love twice in his life, and ended up ruining both relationships in drastic, life-altering ways.

Oliver felt the old hurt twinge in his chest. He loved Adrian, more that just about anything, but he'd always regret that he and Sebastian hadn't tried harder.

"Neither situation was your fault, Seb. I'm the one who pushed you away. I was so angry with the world, with myself, with everyone.I wanted you to have the best of everything and thought at the time that that wasn't me anymore."

He shook his head.

"And the thing with Kurt was never going to be easy. As much as I want to be a romantic, dating someone like that brings a world of complications. But that doesn't mean it was _ your _fault."

Sebastian shook his head. "I thought that at first, which was why I was so angry at him for blaming me. But now...I understand he was just trying to protect what he had worked for his whole life, and I threatened that." He shrugged. "I hate what they did to him, and to you guys. I didn't think about any of the consequences of being with someone in the public eye."

"Again though, none of that _ was _your fault," Oliver offered. "We all know what really happened, and that's what matters."

Sebastian nodded. He forced a smile.

"Too bad everyone else has an opinion, too." He paused.

"Every date I've had since those stories broke has ended because all the guy really wanted was to know about Kurt. 'What's he like?','Does he really have a big dick?' 'Do you still have his number?'." He shook his head. "Even if they don't recognise me straight away, they eventually find out who I am; and then - everything changes. You have no idea what a turn-off it is for your date to ask if you can _ do _ them like Kurt. It's like no one cares about getting to know _ me _ anymore, they all just want a piece of the guy who did Kurt Hummel."

Oliver wrinkled his nose. "That's awful." Despite being glad at the knowledge that Sebastian wasn't throwing himself around anymore, it made Oliver angry. No one deserved to be treated like that, _ especially _Sebastian.

"It just seems like I can't forget about him, even if I want to," Sebastian lets out.

Oliver hesitated for a moment. "So..do you _ want _to forget about him? I mean, if you had another chance, would you take it?"

A pained expression passed briefly over Sebastian's face. "What does it matter? I'm never going to get another chance! I had _ two,_ that's more than most people get to run into celebrities."

"Maybe not," a voice from behind them said. Alice stepped into the doorway, biting her lip. "Sorry, I got worried, you've been out here for a while."

Oliver nodded. "We're okay."

"Seb," she said again. "What if I told you there might be a way...if you really want it?"

"What do you mean?" Sebastian asked. "I doubt he still has the same number. And if he does, he'll have blocked me anyway," he added as an afterthought. "He was _ really _ angry with me, Alice."

Alice and Oliver looked at each other for a moment before Alice turned back to her brother. "Well...I don't have his number per say, but I never unfollowed him on Twitter or Instagram."

Sebastian stared at her.

"And..he's here. Well, he's in Columbus, promoting his new album. He is doing a small set at Bluestone tomorrow afternoon...my friend Hannah works there and was able to get me a VIP pass. It's yours if you want it."

Sebastian swallowed, and he looked out into the dark night. Just knowing Kurt was nearby, somehow made the air feel different.

"Do you think I should go?" he asked, turning back to his friends.

"I think you owe it to yourself to try," Alice said softly. "I know it ended badly, but that was just a misunderstanding. If there's a chance to clear that up...I think it's worth it. I really do think you had something together."

"She's right Seb," Oliver agreed. "We all could see it, even just on that one night that we met him. Why else would he have come as your date to a meal with your friends?"

_ Because he was bored? Because he wanted to play 'a day in the simple life'? _

Sebastian had gone through all the answers in his head too often. Had it been real? How often had he dreamed of a chance, just one more, to find out? He looked at Oliver for help.

"Alice is right," Oliver said. "The worst thing that can happen is that he turns you away. Or you might get there and realise it's not right for you. But at least you would have tried. You don't want to spend the rest of your life always wondering 'what if?', do you?"

Sebastian breathed in deeply and nodded. "I'll take the ticket," he decided. "Thank you, Alice."


	12. My Business

Kurt sat on the desk of his dressing room, feet propped up on a chair, drinking from a bottle of water. His style team had just finished the final details of his hair and make-up and he was enjoying the final moments of quiet before he would have to go outside and face his fans.

It felt claustrophobic being back here. He'd not been back to Ohio since the scandal last summer - he'd flown his dad and stepmom out to his house in LA for the holidays instead.

He was looking forward to getting back up on stage, he would always enjoy the rush of adrenaline it gave him...but being back _ here _ just made him remember how much he had fucked up last time.

There was a rap of knuckles on the door and the face of his manager, Claire, appeared around it.

"Time to go Kurt, the VIP badge holders are here. You have about fifteen minutes with them before you're due on stage. The press are all ready and they are keen to make their deadlines."

Kurt rolled his eyes a little. _ Screw them, _he thought.

Claire smirked. "I know you hate them, but we need their backing to help promote the album."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Kurt said and put down his water bottle. "I'll play nice." He hopped down from the desk and followed her out of the room.

* * *

Sebastian stood next to a group of fans, mostly women wearing t-shirts with Kurt's album artwork on it. He was feeling nervous. Was it wrong to use the VIP ticket? In a way, he was forcing Kurt to interact with him - it was his job to do a meet and greet with the ticket holders. But Sebastian's friends were right. He needed closure. Sebastian promised himself he would leave as soon as Kurt seemed in any way uncomfortable with him being there.

He looked down at the album in his hand. It had come with the ticket, and the idea of the meet and greet was to have it signed. The front showed a cropped picture of a man's torso wearing banana-printed briefs. It was titled "My Business". It was very tongue-in-cheek, and Sebastian admired Kurt for it. He had taken their jokes and insinuations and used them to his advantage.

If Sebastian hadn't known better, the scandal now almost seemed like a planned marketing gag - and it worked. People were _ very _ eager for his new album, and speculation about the songs had lit up as the title names were posted. Tracks like "Always Watching" and "Sell Me" sounded like they might refer to the press, whereas "The Biggest Lie (Was that you loved me)" seemed like a direct accusation to Blaine.

The blogs were speculating, spinning stories about Kurt as the tragic hero, commiserating his tribulations as if they themselves hadn't contributed to them.

Sebastian hoped that this album would help Kurt rise above it all, so he could move on with his life.

People started coming in to the room, looking like they might be security, and the other fans pressed forward. Sebastian hung back.

Kurt smiled at his fans as he walked into the room. They all started cheering and clapping. A couple were hoping up and down excitedly. It was balm to his soul.

His fans were what had gotten him through the last year. Ever loyal; they had defended him on twitter and the music forums, reported and had removed a lot of the nasty comments and memes made about him, and had generally given Blaine and his followers hell.

He loved them all and would much rather be spending more time with them than having to appease the press.

"I really love the new look!" one fan said as Kurt signed their album cover. "You're such an inspiration! The way you just completely took over what they tried to do to discredit you and turned it into magic!"

Kurt beamed, made a witty retort and thanked her before posing for a picture.

Sebastian watched with a soft smile. Kurt looked amazing, and somehow fully recovered; confident, witty, strong. Though Sebastian had wizened up about believing everything he saw, it looked _ too _ real to be completely acted. Kurt felt comfortable with his fans, and seemed genuinely grateful for their support.

It had taken Sebastian only seconds to remember the pull Kurt had on him, and felt it again now in full force. Trying to control his hammering heart, he stepped forwards a little, clutching his cd.

Kurt finished sighing another CD and looked up. The sight nearly took his breath away.

Sebastian.

He was here, and he looked amazing.

Their eyes locked on each other and Kurt felt everything come flooding back. The things they said to each other, the taunts and accusations. But there were other things too: The feeling of belonging, the tenderness, longing...the amazing night they'd spent together.

And now Sebastian was walking towards him, a CD clutched in his hand - Kurt noticed it was shaking.

"It's time guys, I'm sorry." Claire said, stepping up to Kurt and effectively shielding him from the group with her stance.. "Kurt's on a bit of a deadline."

_ No, _ Kurt thought. _ No, wait. _

It took Sebastian a moment to realise what the woman was saying, but when it registered, he quickly held up his cd to show it was still unsigned. "Please?" he asked.

"Alright, go on then," Claire said indulgently, probably taking Sebastian for a lovesick fan. In a way, he kind of was.

Sebastian swallowed and held out his cd. "Hi," he breathed, smiling tentatively. "Kurt, I'm-"

Kurt shook his head, his eyes darting around at the other fans, they were all still watching him.

"Hi there," he said. "What's your name?" He hoped Sebastian would catch on.

"Um...Sebastian," he replied, "I'm, uh...a big fan."

He watched his cd as Kurt signed it with a curly flourish and three little x's. The message was understood- not here. But Kurt hadn't dismissed him either, so maybe...?

"Kurt, time," his manager insisted.

Kurt looked at Sebastian for a moment before turning to his manager. "Coming."

He turned back to Sebastian and spoke quietly and very quickly. "Hang back and let the others go through first...don't actually follow them, okay? I'll sort it."

He handed Sebastian back the CD and said out loud: "Thank you so much for coming, I hope you enjoy the show."

He then turned around and followed Claire out of the room, surrounded by security.

Sebastian nodded, a little too baffled to speak. He didn't have to wait long. After the others had filtered out, Kurt's manager returned, holding a laminated card on a lanyard.

"Here," she said, holding it out. "You can come backstage with us. Kurt wants to talk to you after his set and the Q&A."

Sebastian eagerly accepted and thanked her. Her expression didn't betray her thoughts - whether she had recognised him from last year's pictures or just assumed he was a groupie willing to be Kurt's pick of the day - but Sebastian didn't care. Kurt wanted to talk!

Kurt walked out onto the stage and greeted the audience. "As you all know, I've had a bit of a rough year. One thing I have learnt though, is that I have the best fans in the world. You all make this whole thing worth while, so this album is dedicated to you. It tells a story, and it's one that I hope you'll listen to, and enjoy."

The audience cheered and applauded and Kurt nodded to his band. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sebastian standing backstage, out of sight from the audience. He looked nervous and a little out of place. Kurt knew it had to be weird for Sebastian to watch him amidst the circus that was his job. The last time they had seen each other, it had just been the two of them. Now, everyone wanted a piece of him and Sebastian had to stand by and wait his turn. It didn't feel right.

He longed to make it better. There were so many things he wanted to say, _ had to say. _ The fact that Sebastian was here surely showed that he was willing to hear Kurt out, right? That maybe they had a chance to at least figure it out? Kurt sighed as the opening chords of his first song started playing. _ Later, _he told himself. He hoped some of the songs were a good start.

Sebastian watched and saw how Kurt visibly stepped into his performer role the moment he stepped into the light. His posture changed; with his back elongated and his chin up and his shoulders squared, he faced his audience and offered them the strong facade of an almost untouchable star - but his kind words added just that touch of vulnerability that made his fans love him so.

_ Just his fans? _

Sebastian pushed his intrusive thoughts away for now and focused on Kurt, who had started into what the setlist had announced as a Singles Medley of fast-paced songs from his new album.

"_You're always watching - do you like what you see? _

_ You're a stalker, baby - trying to get a hold of me _

_ You will never see inside, oh! the secrets that I hide _

_ Scratch the surface, scratch the itch, make me famous, make me rich - I'll show you what you want to see _

_ A spectator is all you'll ever be" _

The audience loved it. Kurt's drawn-out, sultry tones mixed with the pumping beat and his suggestive body language made the song come alive, and Sebastian couldn't help but stare at his shimmying shoulders and his rolling hips, remembering all too well what it was like to be _ more _ than a spectator.

_ "Book me, shoot me, click me - sell me, taste me, f- me _ " Kurt laid a finger on his lips, leaving a deliberate blank in the lyric that was sure to be picked up and sung out loud at the upcoming concerts, but was not on the album, so it did not need to be rated explicit. "_You will never own me." _

Sebastian shivered. The anger in the music was electrifying.

The music moved through Kurt as he sang. It was cathartic. He'd been so angry when he wrote this song, and singing it now felt like he was finally releasing it all.

The order of the songs on this album was deliberate, they told a story. They spoke of the pain he felt at Blaine's betrayal, the humiliation of knowing those pictures would be out there forever, the anger and indignation he felt at the way he'd been treated by the press and Blaine's fans, the guilt that filled him up every day at the pain he'd caused his family...and Sebastian. That was his biggest regret of all.

He knew it wasn't Sebastian's fault. He'd been nothing but supportive and welcoming to Kurt in his hour of need, and Kurt had thrown that all back in his face in his panic.

The final song was for him. An apology, a hope...and a promise.

As the fast paced music faded out, he looked into the small crowd, his nerves rising in his throat. He subtly glanced behind him and looked at Sebastian as he started to sing.

The audience, that moments before had been dancing and yelling for more of _ Kurt _ in every way, quieted down and listened. Photographers momentarily stopped clicking away (now that Kurt was no longer dancing and making provocative poses, there was less money to be made). The music was simple, almost _ bare _ compared to the electronic dance beats that had been mixed under the previous medley, and it only served to highlight Kurt's voice. The room had gone so quiet Sebastian imagined he could hear the breaths Kurt took in between his lines. They were a little shaky, though his voice was not, but it was clear he was conjuring up a lot of emotions for this song.

_"__No costumes, no make-up, no stage lights _

_ No fast cars, no room service, no first class flights _

_ In your room, I am not their property _

_ You take me down and set me free _

_ Nothing matters but you and me"_

Sebastian closed his eyes, letting Kurt's voice surround him. He could hear the yearning in the song, and felt it inside of himself too. He wanted to be back in that room, too.

_"But I left before we really began- _

_ Took the choice for both of us and ran _

_ To protect what I thought was all I had _

_ that was worth saving _

_ Now I'd give it all up for the chance _

_ to be back in your room for one more dance _

_ Take me back to your room-"_

It was all Sebastian could do not to step onto the stage. He wanted to go to Kurt and tell him _ yes, I will take you back, I will keep you safe. _ But they weren't alone, and he had to wait. The press was there. He couldn't create another scandal, because then, Kurt would certainly never forgive him.

As the song slowly came to an end, he opened his eyes and saw Kurt looking out over his audience, his face open and vulnerable. The applause rose and Kurt briefly hung his head, closing his eyes. A tear slipped down his cheek, but he brushed it off and looked back up with a smile, composed once more.

Sebastian was speechless, and so just did what everyone else was doing and clapped.

Kurt held the microphone tightly in his hand as the song ended. He was raw with emotion and needed a moment to compose himself.

The entire audience was shouting, applauding and calling his name. He smiled at them all.

"Thank you," he said humbly.

The lights in the audience went on and Claire walked out onto the stage, her own microphone in her hand.

"Alright, Kurt will now take questions from the press. We ask that you only ask one question in an effort to keep things running smoothly."

The journalists all raised their hands, waving for attention. Claire pointed at one of them, giving them permission to speak.

"The faster songs, they're quite rough. Aren't you afraid you might alienate your younger fans with this content?"

Kurt thought about the question for a moment.

"I don't think so," he replied. "I always try to keep content as PG as possible, even if some of the songs have a darker tone than usual. I value all of my fans no matter their age, and always do my best to include them in my songs. As I said before, this year has been particularly tough and the songs on this album are a way to reflect the emotions I went through. I think young people are quite capable of having feelings like those in my songs. Teenage life isn't all puppies and rainbows, as you probably remember. They too, have hearts that can be broken."

"Would you say your heart is broken, then?" the journalist said, but Claire shook her head. One question per person. There were more flashes of the camera and the noise level increased again as people started shouting their questions. Claire pointed at a woman in a peacock blue pant suit.

"Is that you on the cover?" she asked with a smirk, nodding at the posters on the side of the stage.

Kurt grinned. "No, it's not. I think the world has seen enough of my body, don't you?"

There was a smattering of laughter and Kurt imagined he could hear Sebastian laugh behind him. Well, it was true.

"Will you be announcing tour dates soon?"

Kurt nodded. "We are still in talks about possible tour dates. I can't give anything solid at the moment but I can assure you there _ will _ be a tour."

"Will that include a European or World Tour at all?"

"Again, I can't give anything away at the moment, but I am definitely keen to visit my fans across the oceans."

"For some of the songs, the attributions are very clear, I mean 'Sell me' is us, right?" one man said, grinning a little. Some others laughed. It made Sebastian angry. The lyrics were quite clear, and he had suffered the ramifications of their trashy reporting first hand- they ruined lives. How could they just laugh that off?

"What about the ballad? What's it about?" the man continued eagerly.

Kurt felt the blood drain from his face. He'd been terrified of that question. Of course, the truth was that that final song on the album was for Sebastian. How could it have been for anyone else? Claire had advised him to keep it under wraps at the release and focus on the dance tracks, but he had wanted it out there, in hopes of Sebastian hearing it. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought that Sebastian would actually turn up in person to listen to it. But Kurt couldn't tell them that. He wanted to talk to Sebastian first. He had no idea where they stood, why he was even there...there was so much to talk about and these people had no authority to know anything about it. Not before he did.

"I..." He cleared his throat. "I had a lot of influences for the songs on this album, that one included."

"Yes...but what were they?" someone else asked. "Is it about someone in particular?"

Kurt sighed. "_ Your Room _ is an apology, which you obviously guessed. An apology to the fans, my family...and myself. I lost myself along the way, and now that I've found me again, I want to look to the future and focus on what really matters."

Sebastian's heart, which had leapt up into his throat at the question, slowly dropped. He had assumed the song had been about a literal room - _ his _room, where they spent the night together. Had it all just been one big metaphor for losing sight of his roots? Was that what Kurt had planned to tell him, that he wanted to move forward into the future, make a fresh start, and leave everything behind him? Maybe he had wanted to tell Sebastian to stay away from him, but hadn't wanted to make a scene earlier.

"So...what about that guy from Lima you dated briefly last year?"

Kurt felt his stomach roll over.

"H-"he started, unsure about what he was going to say, but unable to _ not _ answer - until he was saved by Claire.

"Kurt is here to answer questions about his new album. He is _ not _answering questions about his personal life."

Of course. Of course that was why he was here. Sebastian silently cursed himself. Kurt was _ at work _, and Sebastian had crashed his release party, confronted him with the mistakes he had made, that he was trying to leave behind. This was not the time. And maybe the right time would never come; or Sebastian had already missed it.

With a heavy heart, Sebastian pulled the backstage pass over his head and put it down on a speaker box. He cast one last longing look at Kurt, and left, tucking the cd into the breast pocket of his shirt.

With Claire's help, Kurt got through the next twenty minutes relatively unscathed. Finally, the Q & A was over and he was free to leave. He was dying to talk to Sebastian.

As he got back stage however, he noticed that the man in question was nowhere to be found. The backstage pass sat on top of a box, discarded.

"Where's Sebastian?" he asked one of the security guys standing by the stage. He held up the pass.

"The kid from before? He left about twenty minutes ago..." the man replied.

Kurt felt a sharp stabbing pain in his gut and sucked in a breath. He was gone. Kurt felt the world slip from underneath him and he sat down heavily next to the box, turning the pass over and over between his fingers..

"Did he say why?"

"Nope, just left the pass and left."

Kurt felt his heart shatter into a million pieces as all the hope he'd felt from seeing Sebastian evaporated. It hadn't worked. Sebastian had heard the song, and what? Decided that it wasn't enough? Or maybe the sight of Kurt surrounded and hounded by the press had brought back memories of when they had harassed Sebastian and his friends, and he realised he couldn't deal with it.

Kurt bit his lip and felt a tear roll down his cheek. He felt lost. He had meant what he'd written. He would give it all up for Sebastian in a heartbeat if it meant they had a chance. Had the lyrics not been clear enough?

"Well done Kurt," Claire said, walking over to him. She had an iPad in her hand and was scrolling through it, checking the social media posts with the hashtag they had told their audience to use. "I think that went- what's wrong?"

"Sebastian left," he whispered.

"Oh…" Claire replied. "Oh honey, I'm sorry, but maybe it's for the best, you know? If he can't handle this-" She gestured back at the stage and shrugged. "This is who you are. It's too much for a lot of people."

Kurt nodded vaguely, letting her words echo in his mind. Then, he squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. "You're right. But it's not _ all _ I am."

"Of course it's not," Claire said idly, now checking the itinerary for the next leg of the promotion tour.

"Cancel the event for tomorrow," Kurt instructed, an idea suddenly forming in his head.

"Kurt-" Claire protested.

"Just do it Claire, one day isn't going to hurt."

Claire opened her mouth to argue but sighed as Kurt's words from the island came back to her. "Fine...I hope he's worth it, Kurt."

Kurt stood up and looked at her. "He is."


	13. Just A Boy

Kurt hid behind a stall selling vintage scarves. The red panelling of Between The Sheets was visible from his vantage point, but he was pretty sure no one in the shop would be able to see him.

He'd been up all night trying to make up his mind about what to say to Sebastian. Kurt's heart had leapt when Sebastian turned up the day before. It had given Kurt hope that maybe he wanted the same things that Kurt did. But then he had left.

Where did that leave them?

A bell above the shop dinged and Kurt watched as someone emerged. He'd not seen anyone else enter or leave in the half an hour that he'd been standing there. It was now or never.

Taking a shaky breath, Kurt stepped out of his hiding place and straightened his clothes. Butterflies did somersaults in his stomach as he crossed the street and the palms of his hands were clammy with nerves.

He wiped his hands on his jeans as he got to the front of the store. This was a whole new different kind of stage fright. He wrapped his hand around the old brass door handle, stealing himself one final time, and pulled the door open.

A pretty young woman sat behind the counter. _ Shit. Where was Sebastian? _

"Hi, can I-?" Steph looked up from her seat behind the counter and stopped speaking mid-sentence. For a moment, she just stared, wide-eyed. Then, she got a hold of herself.

"Um, uh- _ welcome! _ I mean, hi! I already said that, didn't I? Are you here for- Sebastian's in the back," she said, falling over herself a little.

Kurt sent a silent prayer of relief to whatever was listening up in the sky. Sebastian was here after all.

"I'll just..." Steph pointed helplessly at the far end of the shop and got moving. "Feel free to look around," she offered on an afterthought, turning back to him. "We have _ your _ music too!"

Kurt watched her fluster and smiled fondly, for a moment forgetting how nervous he was. Her reaction made him think about his first interactions with Sebastian after he had realised who Kurt was. It had been so adorable, and incredibly very flattering too.

_ Oh my god, Steph, how are you so uncool_, she muttered to herself as she knocked on the door of Sebastian's small office.

As she disappeared through the back, Kurt's nerves returned and he thumbed through a box of sheet music to give himself something to do.

"Seb, you have a customer," Steph said, still feeling very giddy. "He wants to talk to the manager."

Sebastian kept his eyes on the shop's accounts on his laptop. "Can you handle it, please? I'm not feeling very social today. Tell him you just got promoted."

"I'd like that, but...you'd want to handle this personally, I think," Steph said, beaming at him.

Sebastian sighed and took off his glasses to rub his eyes. "Fine. But if it's CD Man again I am getting a restraining order." He got up and walked to the front.

"Someone ask for the-" he started, putting his glasses back on and focusing on the person in his shop. "Manager...?" He faltered in his step. "Kurt."

As quick as a flash, Steph dashed around them, flipped the sign on the door to "closed" and beamed at the two of them. "I'll be in the back," she whispered confidentially, and made herself scarce.

Kurt looked up from his box and smiled shyly at Sebastian. "Hi," he said softly, his heart in his throat.

"Hi," Sebastian repeated sheepishly.

They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment.

"I wanted to call," Kurt said. "When I knew that I'd be in town...but with the way we left things last time I wasn't sure I was allowed..." _ until I saw you yesterday and you gave me hope. _

Sebastian nodded. "I never thought I'd see you again. You know, apart from on TV."

Kurt bit his lip. "I'm sorry for the way I acted and the things I said that morning."

Sebastian shook his head and shrugged, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I understand why you had to do what you did," he mumbled.

Kurt shook his head. "It was unfair of me to put that on you. You were nothing but supportive and welcoming to me, and I threw it in your face. It wasn't _ your _fault they said those things about me."

He looked at his feet. "I'm sorry they harassed you as well. And Ollie and Adrian, I feel terrible."

Sebastian shrugged again. "To be honest? Yeah, it sucked. But they're okay. And I guess I learned the hard way what it's like to be in the public eye. My 'exe's couldn't _ wait _ to trash me for money." He pulled up the corner of his mouth into a smirk. "Maybe I shouldn't have 'lost' their phone numbers, huh?"

Kurt looked at him. "I'm glad you're all okay, but no one should ever have to endure their dirty laundry being displayed."

Sebastian nodded. "Which is why I understand why you were so upset about it," he added. "I didn't really _ get it _ back then, but I do now."

Kurt smiled at him a little and walked a little closer. "You know, I've thought about that weekend a lot...the part before the door bell rang."

Sebastian glanced over his shoulder to see if Steph was watching them. If she was, she was hiding well. He swallowed. "Me too," he admitted. "Especially, um, yesterday when you were dancing."

Kurt smirked and stepped even closer, his heart swelling with hope. "When I saw you yesterday," he whispered. "I thought maybe you had come to give me another chance."

He looked up at Sebastian with wide eyes.

"Me give _ you _ a chance?" Sebastian asked, frowning. "I came to beg you to give _ me _ another chance. But then you told that reporter you wanted to leave all of that behind. The mistakes of your past."

Kurt closed his eyes and stepped away. "I didn't mean _you,_" he said quietly. "I meant _Blaine_ and the way I acted. My completely skewed priorities. Caring about what the press says about me. I meant that I wanted to move on from that _with you. _That's what the song was about."

Sebastian paused. "With me?" he asked. "But when that reported asked about me, it was like...you moved on like I never existed."

Kurt closed his eyes. "It wasn't on purpose," he whispered. "I panicked. I was so scared of saying the _ wrong _thing and screwing this up before I'd even had a chance to talk to you...that when Claire interrupted I took the out." He opened his eyes and looked at Sebastian pleadingly.

Sebastian nodded. "I...took the out as well," he said. He'd been thinking about his decision all night. Even if (once again!) it hadn't been Kurt's intention to hurt him, it _ had _ hurt, and reminded him just how incompatible their lives were.

Kurt felt Sebastian's words like a stab to the heart. He swallowed, pain seeping through his body.

"But you came to see me...I thought, when you showed up, that it meant we could maybe work things out? That we had a chance?"

"I was sort of hoping the same, but-" Sebastian started. "Seeing you up there yesterday, it just made me realise...you're a superstar, Kurt. And I will always be..._ this _-" He gestured helplessly at the store. "Just a regular boy from Ohio. Not even the occasional summer in Paris is gonna change that."

He sighed. "I would never want to come between you and your career, but inevitably, I _ would_, because I don't know the first thing about your kind of life, and it would only lead to frustration and pain for us both. You're...too hard to avoid, Kurt. You're everywhere. If we were to break up again...I'd have to go live off the grid!" He grimaced at the idea.

He looked at Kurt, glad that he had already made the decision the night before. It hurt slightly less this way. "I think you'll be better off with someone famous. Your friends at the press would probably prefer that too."

Kurt listened to Sebastian talk, every word cutting deeper into him so that by the end, he felt that one more word might shatter him completely.

He swallowed and fought back the tears.

"Wow...that really is a _ no_," he whispered. He wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to hold himself together. He wanted to shout, to explain that he didn't care what the reporters wanted or what everyone thought he should have. Wasn't that the whole point of his album?

Looking at Sebastian though, in his hand-knitted sweater and faded jeans, he felt the fight leave him. It was futile.

"Good luck with your album," Sebastian offered, feeling lame. "It's really good. I think it'll do great. I'm sure I'll...get the sheet music in at some point."

Kurt sucked in a breath, recognising the dismissal. He nodded thanks and turned to leave. As his hand wrapped around the door handle, he paused and glanced back.

"The fame isn't real you know," he whispered. "The crowds and the reporters. I feel like a fraud most of the time." He swallowed again. "At the end of the day, I'm just a boy, standing in front of another boy-" He paused and took a deep breath. "Asking you to love me."

Sebastian felt incredibly conflicted, but before he could say anything, Kurt turned away and left.

There was only one thing Sebastian knew for sure. He had been wrong about this hurting less than future heartbreak.


	14. Now or Never

Steph tapped her foot on the floor and chewed the end of a pen, unable to keep the grin off of her face. She was a hopeless romantic and an avid reader- and the afternoon's events felt like something out of one of her books. It made her feel incredibly giddy. Sebastian deserved this, he deserved to find happiness and love; and so did Kurt.

She glanced at the time on the computer screen. She hadn't heard voices for a while, so either Kurt had left, or...maybe they were kissing?

_ So romantic,_ she thought to herself. _ I ship them hard. _

She gave them another ten minutes before her curiosity got the better of her. She put the pen down, stood up and walked towards the door. As she walked down the corridor towards the shop floor she made a point of knocking into the wall, making as much noise as she could to announce her presence.

When she went back into the shop, she realised it hadn't been necessary. Sebastian was standing by himself, a grim look on his face. He had upended a box of sheet music and was filing it back in.

"They weren't alphabetised," he said before she could ask, keeping his eyes on the box.

"Where did Kurt go?" Steph asked, not fooled by his sudden need to organise the store.

Sebastian shrugged. "To one of his seven mansions I guess," he said darkly.

"Did you...break up?" Steph asked carefully.

Sebastian turned to face her. "We were never together, so _ no_, we didn't break up."

Steph breathed in sharply. "Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes that helps..." She trailed off as she saw his expression. A clear no.

"Maybe you should call it a day?" she suggested. "I could come back up with you and make soup or something..."

He gave her a blank look.

"Grilled cheese? Pop Tarts?" Steph tried. "That's about all I have to offer. But I am also great at ordering pizzas."

Sebastian sighed and pushed the box away. "Yeah. Fuck it. I could use some cheese in some form or other."

"Great!" Steph said enthusiastically, hoping to cheer him up.

* * *

Sebastian opened the door- or tried, anyway- on top of the usual nuisance of the ironing board, several bolts of fabric were crammed in the small foyer. _ Great,_ he thought, _ Elliott is home. Another spectator. _ Of all the days, today he had chosen to stay in?

"Is that you, Seb?" Elliott called out from his bedroom.

Spitefully, Sebastian did not reply.

"It's Sebastian and Steph!" Steph called out helpfully. "We're gonna order in, want some food?"

Elliott looked at the time on his phone and frowned. The store didn't close for at least another two hours...what had happened to cause both staff members to abandon their post?

"You know me, I can never turn down the double meat," he called back and walked out of his room into the apartment. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company this fine afternoon?"

Steph, standing behind Sebastian, shook her head and made a neck-slicing movement with her hand.

Sebastian, seeing Elliott's expression, could guess what had happened behind his back. He sighed heavily.

"Okay, since I owe you one from last time: Kurt came to the shop. I told him to leave. End of story," he summarised. "And now I need cheese. Or alcohol. Preferably both."

Elliott stared at his friend with wide eyes. "You...told him...to _ leave?" _

Sebastian shrugged helplessly. "What else was I supposed to do, Ells? It was never gonna work."

Elliot raised his eyebrows and shared a look with Steph.. "Why not-" he started.

"Oh yeah, Kurt Hummel the super star and Sebastian Smythe the slut of Lima, Ohio…a match made in heaven! "

"Dude," Elliot started but Sebastian ignored him.

Sebastian walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. His shoulders slumped. "It was _ your _ turn to buy beer, man."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I meant to stop at the store on the way home but forgot," Elliott said sheepishly.

Sebastian sighed exasperated and moved to look in a cabinet for something stronger.

Steph bit her lip. "It's still pretty early for that, Seb," she suggested carefully.

"Well, it's always happy hour _ somewhere _ in the world, right?" As soon as he said it, Sebastian remembered f Kurt laughing about that when he had tried to offer him a beer right after spilling his morning frappe over Kurt's shirt. _ Great, now he really needed a drink. _

Steph looked at Elliott helplessly. Elliott looked back at Steph and surreptitiously waved his phone in a way that said, _ I'll take care of it. _He unlocked his phone and sentout an SOS to all of Sebastian's friends. There was no way they could let him spiral out like this again. Steph gave him the thumbs up.

Sebastian, bottle of whiskey in hand, stood back up and frowned at the two of them. "Are you just gonna stand there miming over my head all afternoon? Or are you actually gonna order pizza like you said?"

Steph jumped and turned to look at him guiltily. "Of course!" She hurried to the fridge and grabbed a pizza menu off the front, sending a few fridge magnets flying. "What does everyone want?"

"Cheese," Sebastian said, and poured, then downed a shot of whiskey, wincing a little as it went down.

"I'll have meat feast, extra sausage, Steph," Elliot said with a wink. He watched Sebastian pour another shot and added: "It's on me if you stop doing _ that. _"

"Was always gonna be on you," Sebastian grumphed, but he screwed the lid on the bottle for now. "It was your turn to go to the store."

Elliott huffed out a sigh and looked at his friend. "What the hell happened?"

Sebastian grimaced as his conversation with Kurt sprang into his mind again. _"No comment,"_ he said with a smile that did not reach his eyes, "is what Kurt would say."

Elliott shook his head. "And they call _ me _a drama queen," he said softly, but there was no venom in it. He was worried, and hoped Sebastian's sister and best friends would get there soon.

* * *

The pizza arrived just before Sebastian's friends.

"You ordered pizza without us?" Oliver said, playfully scandalised as he climbed back into his chair at the top of the stairs.

"We got extra," Steph called up after him.

Alice was the last one through the door and Steph shut the door behind her.

"How is he?" Alice whispered, taking off her coat.

Steph shrugged helplessly. Alice felt her heart sink and the two women climbed the stairs.

Adrian was already at the top with Oliver and they turned to speak to Steph as she approached.

"How bad is it?" Adrian whispered.

"Bad," Steph said. "I've not seen him like this since-" she glanced at Oliver.

"-the accident," he finished in a whisper. Steph nodded.

Adrian placed a hand on his husband's shoulder and squeezed. "Thanks for calling us," Adrian said, "it takes a village, huh?"

It made Steph smile a little again, though she could see they were all just as worried as she was.

Oliver pulled away from Adrian's grip and rolled into the living room. Sebastian was sitting on the end of the couch, a large pizza box opened on his lap and a whiskey tumbler gripped in his free hand.

"Help yourself to food," Elliott said pointing at the coffee table where several boxes sat. "We had to start already," he added apologetically. "It was the only way I could get Seb from having a liquid dinner."

Oliver continued forward and positioned himself in Sebastian's line of sight. Alice and Adrian followed, finding seats around the coffee table. They all looked at Sebastian expectantly.

Sebastian put his pizza down. "I can't believe you told my _ dads _ on me," he sniped at Elliott.

Oliver frowned at Sebastian. "I'm glad he _ did _call us!" he said. "We care about you and hate when you do this to yourself."

He didn't care if he was being blunt. Sebastian's path to self destruction was something he'd seen far too often.

"What happened, Seb?" Alice said a little softer. "If you tell us, maybe we can help?

Sebastian scowled and looked down at his pizza.

"Sebastian," Oliver demanded.

Sebastian sighed. To stall for time, he peeled at the stringy cheese for a moment.

"Don't make me start counting!" Oliver warned.

Sebastian couldn't help the little smirk that appeared on his face. Oliver really would make a great parent.

Knowing none of them would leave before he spoke up, he let the smirk drop and finally looked up at them.

"Last night, I went to Kurt's concert. I briefly saw him before, and he told me he wanted to talk afterwards, so I stuck around. But he had this press conference thing, and they had a lot of questions about his inspiration for the album-"

Sebastian explained the story; how he had misunderstood and left, how Kurt had come to the shop to explain and ask him for another chance. The group was quiet as he did so. He reached the point about their lives, and how they were miles apart.

"And that's why I said no," Sebastian concluded. "I mean, it was the right thing to do, right?"

Oliver bit his lip and shared a look with his husband. In theory, he understood where Sebadtian was coming from - he too struggled to see how a relationship between Kurt and Sebastian would work. Sebastian would have to move away from Ohio in any case, give up the shop... And _ that _idea was enough to shatter his heart. He wanted Sebastian to be happy and he'd never stop him, but the thought of him leaving...

"Maybe it is for the best?" he said.

"Absolutely!" Alice said as naturally as she could. "He always tries to eat all the brownies."

"Yeah, and he made fun of our kitchen," Adrian added helpfully.

"But he didn't know-" Oliver started, then caught on. "Yeah. Yeah, totally uncool. Ableist, even."

"And he probably can't pick his own outfits. Guys like that always have a personal stylist," Elliott added.

Sebastian smiled a little painfully. It still hurt, but they were trying. "Thanks, guys."

The doorbell rang, and Elliott got up to buzz Alex in.

A minute later, Alex came bounding up the stairs. His heavy footsteps made the old wooden steps crea. "Alright gals and girls, I heard there was a pizza part- what happened?" he said, cutting himself off mid-sentence at the solemn look on everyone's faces.

"Sebastian turned down Kurt," Alice said, bracing herself for his reaction. She took Sebastian's hand and squeezed it.

Alex looked at them and blinked. "You turned down _ Kurt Hummel?"_

Sebastian nodded.

"The guy who you've been pining after for a year?"

Alice relaxed a little. Maybe Alex would be cool with it.

"Yes," Sebastian confirmed. "I told him I realised our lives were too different. Because they are."

"And he understood that, right?" Oliver asked. When they'd met, Kurt had struck him as a very down-to-earth person.

Sebastian nodded. "He did. Though, before he left, he said that thing that famous people always say, you know? How fame isn't real, and that celebrities are people too..." He tried to shrug it off nonchalantly and looked around his group of friends.

"He said that, in the end, he was also just a boy, standing in front of another boy, asking me to love him."

The room was so silent, you could have heard a pin drop.

"You fucking idiot!" Alex said, breaking the silence. "You let him _ leave _after that?"

Sebastian looked at his friend and swallowed hard. "Well, at that point, I had already said no, and..." He looked around at his friends; Alex was shaking his head, Alice and Steph looked like they were about to cry, Elliott looked as though he was fighting the urge to start shouting and Adrian and Oliver just looked at him sadly..

"Oh god," he groaned placing his hands over his face I and leaning forward in his chair. "I've fucked up, haven't I?" he let out, casting a desperate look to his friends through his fingers.

Alex nodded so hard his hair flopped back and forth. The others hesitated, but Sebastian could tell they all agreed.

Finally, Oliver broke the silence.

"I mean...it does sound genuine..."

Sebastian sighed deeply. "It did. I think he really did mean to give us a chance, but I felt like it would just be a matter of time before I messed it up. I mean, I don't know the first thing about show business, or how to act on the red carpet, I...I don't even own a tux!"

Elliott smiled. "I could definitely help you with that last one. Hey, I could be _ your _ personal stylist!"

"And I'm sure _ Kurt _ would help you with the rest," Adrian added.

Sebastian shook his head. "There's no point. I'm pretty sure I burned all of my bridges with him."

"You don't know unless you try," Oliver said. "If he meant what he said, those feelings aren't gonna go away in the space of a couple of hours...I guess you have to decide if it's worth the risk." He looked at his friend. "Is he?"

"Yes," Sebastian said decisively. He thought he saw something like pride in Oliver's eyes, but maybe he was just imagining it.

"He said he was staying with his dad. I'll go and-" Sebastian got up. The world spun a little and he sat again.

"Yeah, you're not driving like that," Alex said. "I'll take you."

"I want to come!" Steph said immediately.

"Me too!" Elliott chimed in.

Alex looked at Oliver and Adrian, and bit his lip. "We won't all fit in my car."

Sebastian looked at them all. He felt touched that they were all invested in his happiness, but at the same time, this felt like something he should do alone.

"Thanks, but I don't want an audience."

"But, if you're gonna be with him, you need to get used to it!" Alice protested.

Sebastian smiled a lopsided smile. "Y'all just want to see him kick my ass to the curb huh?" he joked. Then, he made up his mind. "You can all come - and stay in the car."

"Deal!" Alex said, who was just happy his friend was doing the right thing.

"We can take our van," Oliver said. "If we leave the chair, you can all fit in the back."

Addian frowned. "But won't you need-" he started.

Oliver smiled. "You heard Seb, we're not allowed outside the car anyway." He winked.

"Okay, let's go!" Alex announced.

"Ah, can I suggest that Seb maybe get a two minute grooming moment?" Elliott said. "Just zhuzzing him up a little. Let's go, babe." He took a slightly baffled Sebastian by the hand and lead him to the bathroom.

_"No glitter! _" the others heard Sebastian call out, and laughed.

By the time Elliott had finished, the others had made their way back downstairs and into the van. Sebastian emerged onto the street dressed in a short sleeved button down and dark wash jeans. He and Elliott climbed into the van, Sebastian upfront with Oliver and Adrian, who was driving. Sebastian showed them the way to the Hummel's house.

* * *

"Good luck Seb," Ollie said squeezing his hand as Adrian pulled up outside Kurt's childhood home. Behind them everyone cheered and shouted similar words of encouragement.

"Thanks. I'm gonna need it," Sebastian mumbled. He got out of the car and walked up the driveway.

"I can't believe Kurt Hummel used to live here, it's so unreal," Steph whispered, looking at the house.

"Oh no, don't ruin the hair!" Elliott let out, watching Sebastian run a hand through his hair before ringing the bell. "I styled that _ perfectly,"_ he grumped.

Sebastian felt his heart pound in his chest as he waited.A moment passed and the door opened, a tall man wearing a flannel shirt over a tshirt emerging in the doorway. He eyed Sebastian up and down.

"Can I help you?"

"Um, yes, I'd like to speak with Kurt. Please." Sebastian was a little intimidated by the man in front of him, but he also knew the _ real _ hurdle would be convincing Kurt that his decision at the shop had been a mistake. He couldn't back down now.

"He knows me," he added quickly. "I'm not a stalker or something! We talked this morning and I...I said all the wrong things and would like to apologise."

Burt let his eyes sweep over Sebastian again. Finally, he recognised him. "I picked Kurt up from your place last year," he stated.

Sebastian nodded. "It was all a big misunderstanding. Please, sir...if I could just talk to him…"

He looked incredibly nervous. Burt felt his heart soften.

"He's not here kid, he left about an hour ago for Cincinnati. He is flying back to New York in a few hours."

Sebastian hung his head. It was over.

"I'm sorry," Burt offered. "Maybe you should try calling him."

Sebastian shrugged dejectedly. "I messed up so badly I don't think anything but an apology in person would work. Thanks, though..."

He started back towards the car. Burt hesitated. Kurt hadn't told him much about Sebastian, and stories about him in the papers hadn't exactly been flattering- but Burt was a seasoned celebrity dad by now, and knew how the tabloids worked. He probably wasn't such a bad kid as the papers made him out to be.

Deciding to go with his gut, Burt called after him: "He's on a private flight. It leaves at 21:20."

Sebastian stopped and looked at his watch. It was just past seven. He shot a grateful look at Burt before hurrying to the car.

"Ade, how fast can we get to Cincinnati?"

Adrian looked at Sebastian as he buckled back in. "About two and a half hours?"

He saw the colour drain from Sebastian's face.

"If I get a speeding ticket you can pay for it."


	15. Running Home to You

Kurt felt numb as he wandered aimlessly around the stores in the departure lounge.

As a private flyer he had access to a private waiting area, but tonight, he didn't want to sit in silence with his thoughts. They were intrusive and miserable, and misery loves company.

He'd turned his phone off about an hour ago, not wanting to be plagued with messages or social media notifications. It was enough. For now, he just wanted to be _Kurt_.

He checked his watch and saw that he had a little over half an hour until his flight.

_Might as well head towards the gate, _he said to himself.

* * *

"Put your foot down, Ade," Alex urged. "If you go in front of those cabs you can change lanes."

"I don't see any police," Steph said, peering out of the window, "but these bushes make for great hide-outs."

"Yeah, I wouldn't go faster than this-" Alice added.

"Google maps says there's a two minute short-cut via the next exit," Alex suggested, holding out his phone to the front seat.

"Don't. Distract. The driver," Sebastian said, batting Alex' hand away.

The friends went quiet immediately.

"Thanks," Oliver said, looking ahead out of the window.

Sebastian caught Alice's eyes in the rearview mirror and they exchanged a look. The mood was a little subdued after that, but as the airport came closer, Sebastian began feeling nervous again.

"Don't mess up your hair," Elliott warned him, and Sebastian dropped the hand that had been inching towards his neck. They finally got to the airport with fifteen minutes to spare.

"Okay," Alex announced, sitting up as they drove into the parking lot. "Do we all go in and spread out to look for him?"

"He'll be behind security already. I'm not buying all of us a ticket we won't be using!" Sebastian protested. "His dad told me the flight details, I'll just head for the gate and hope the plane hasn't started taxiing."

"And they say romance is dead," Alex teased.

Adrian finished parking and killed the engine. Sebastian took a deep breath and closed his hand around the door handle, bracing himself.

Oliver nudged him with his shoulder.

"Go get the boy," he said. Sebastian blushed and nodded. He opened the door and climbed out of the van.

"Good luck!" Alice yelled after him. They watched him go.

"It's so romantic," Steph mused. "Like in the movies." She sighed. "I wonder when someone famous will come into the music store for _me_."

Alice glanced at Alex, who was blushing a little. She elbowed him in the ribs. He cleared his throat.

"Maybe, uh, while you wait for your famous guy...you might consider...going on a date with me?" he suggested.

Everyone turned to look at Steph. She blushed. "I'd like that."

Alice beamed from one side to the other, sitting in the middle like she already officiated their vows.

"Two down, two to go," Elliott announced, looking at Alice. "I'm sure we'll soon get some, too." He held up his hand for her to high-five.

She smiled and, rather than slap it, clasped it and pressed softly. "I'm ace, babe. That's not for me. But I'm rooting for you, though."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't-" Elliott started, but Alice shook her head and smiled.

"Now you do," she said, and blew him a kiss.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sebastian was standing in line at the security check, a ticket in hand to give him entry to the gates. The lady at the counter had looked at him rather strangely as he asked for a ticket to _anywhere_, but as he explained he needed to stop what might be the love of his life from flying out of his life, she gave him a stand-by seat on a flight five hours later, giving him enough time to refund it. Now, all he needed was to get through.

* * *

"Oh my god!" Someone gasped as Kurt walked along the conveyor belt that took people towards the gates. He looked up and saw a teenage girl on the opposite conveyor, she was clutching her phone in her hand.

"Oh my god!" She said again, starting to fight against the conveyor that was taking her away from him. "Kurt Hummel!"

So much for just being _Kurt._

Kurt but his lip and smiled at her. He held up a hand and waved. He saw her snap a picture, and then she was whisked away by the force of the conveyor and crowds of people.

Kurt felt his heart sink at the disappointment that crossed her face. He was reaching the end of the line and checked his watch. He had time; just because he'd had a crap day, didn't mean he couldn't make someone else's.

He stepped off the end of the belt and instead of joining the next one, turned around and joined the one going in the opposite direction. He got off and heard the girl even before he saw her. She was off to the side with her back to him, talking excitedly on the phone.

"You won't _believe _what just happened! I saw Kurt Hummel at the airport and he _waved _at me! I literally almost died!"

Kurt smiled and tapped the girl on the shoulder. She glanced at him, screamed, and almost dropped her phone.

"Hi," he said.

"Lou, I'll call you back," the girl mumbled vaguely and hung up the phone, staring at him with huge eyes. Then she snapped on, and started talking rapidly. "Hi! Oh my god, oh my god! I love you! I've been listening to your new album on repeat - it's _amazing. _Especially _Your Room_, oh my god, it's so beautiful, I cry every time!"

_"_Thank you," he said, "I love your bag!"

Her face lit up. "Really? I made it myself!"

"Wow, well that makes it even better," he said. She beamed.

"Will you sign it!?"

"Of course! Do you have a pen?"

She deflated. "No."

"Hold on, maybe I actually have one," Kurt said, and patted down his jacket. With a victorious look, he pulled out a sharpie. "Here we go. What's your name?"

"Ashley."

"Ashley. Okay. Let's see. _Dear Ashley, rock your bag and rock the world- Kurt._"

Kurt smiled and handed her bag back to her, and posed for a picture. She gushed and blushed the whole time, ecstatic that he'd taken the time to come back for her.

When he walked away five minutes later, his chest felt ten times lighter than it had all day. Being _Kurt Hummel superstar _wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

What felt like hours later, but really had only been about ten minutes, Sebastian made it through security. With no luggage, and looking agitated and nervous as he had, they had deemed him suspect and took him out of the queue for an extra pat down. It had been almost unbearable. Time was ticking away, and with it, his chances of getting to Kurt.

The security guard was very attractive and had given him a few subtle hints - at any other time, Sebastian would probably have slipped him a business card of the shop, but all he wanted now was to get to Kurt.

He searched for the departure timetable and scanned it for Kurt's flight. It wasn't listed. Beginning to panic a little, Sebastian accosted the first person he saw who looked like they might know something.

"Excuse me, is there a special gate for private aircraft?" he asked. "My...friend is on a flight at nine and I don't see it here."

"Gate's 27 to 30, sir. But you can't just-"

Sebastian didn't hear the rest. He ran in the direction the woman had pointed, not caring about anyone in his way.

* * *

People. Too many people. Sebastian was parkouring through the crowd, slipping through the smallest openings between people's shoulders, jumping over the occasional suitcase and at one time even hitching a ride on the railing of a conveyor belt because the old lady in front of him wouldn't let him pass. He was pretty sure he heard security come up behind him, but he pushed on. He_ had_ to find Kurt, he just had to.

As he travelled further away from the departure lounge and the gate numbers increased, the crowds thinned a little and Sebastian was able to dodge people with a bit more ease. His lungs burnt as he ran but he didn't dare stop. He checked his watch. It was 9:01 pm. He sucked in a breath and hoped to god that Kurt's flight had been delayed.

A sign hung from the ceiling had the numbers '27 to 30' with a big arrow pointing to the right. Sebastian made a sharp turn. That's when he finally saw him.

Through the gap between two women's heads, he could see Kurt standing next to a flight attendant at Gate 28.

Sebastian fought through the crowd.

"Kurt!" he shouted desperately.

He saw Kurt hand over his boarding pass and felt panic surge through him. "MOVE!" he yelled angrily as people crowded around him. "KURT!"

Suddenly, the crowd dispersed, and at first Sebastian thought he had finally made them understand he was really in a hurry. Then he saw why they were parting. Two intimidating security guards were moving through the crowd towards him.

"No," he said as they tried to reach for him. "KUUUUUURT!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. The guards grabbed hold of him, hands locking over his shoulders.

Finally, Kurt looked up. Their eyes locked and Sebastian could see the confusion flicker over Kurt's face.

Sebastian fought against the security guards desperately. This was his very last chance.

"Sebastian?" Kurt said in disbelief as he walked towards the commotion.

The security guards looked up at Kurt and he nodded subtly to let Sebastian through. They hesitated for a moment before _finally_ releasing him.

Sebastian stumbled forward, gasping for air and clutching a stitch in his side.

"H-Hi," he gasped.

"Sebastian? Wh-What are you doing here?" He hardly dared to believe it.

"Trying to- catch up with you-" Sebastian panted, "to say I was wrong."

He straightened up and dropped the hand from his side.

Kurt sucked in a breath and took a tentative step forward. Surely Sebastian wasn't saying what Kurt _thought _he was...right? _Why else is he suddenly in the airport in front of you then?_

His heart sped up as hope rushed through his veins and dozens of rom com movie endings flashed in front of his eyes. He swallowed.

"What were you wrong about?" he asked quietly, hardly daring to believe.

"About how it wouldn't work between us. After you left, I realised I didn't say _no_ because of your job, but because I was scared of messing up. And my friends- they're all here in the parking lot, they drove me here- made it quite clear that I should get over myself and try and convince you to give me another chance. Because we _can_ work."

Sebastian breathed out. "Alex, especially, wanted me to tell you that I was an absolute dick, and told me to grovel if I had to." He offered Kurt a grin.

Kurt bit back a laugh and it mixed with a sob, relief and happiness swirling together inside.

"You_ are_ a dick," he agreed.

Sebastian's face fell.

Kurt crossed the last distance between them and looked up into his face.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he whispered.

Sebastian swallowed. "Yes, I'm _very_ sure," he replied, barely daring to breathe.

Kurt felt his heart flutter and couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face. "Alright then."

He closed the gap, wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck and drew him into a kiss.

Sebastian breathed out in relief and kissed him back, breaking away after a moment to chuckle.

"I guess this means I don't have to use my one-way ticket to-" He held up the crumpled ticket in his hand, "Chicago to escape the wrath of Alex and the others?"

Kurt grinned and looked down at the ticket. "No, you don't...but you could come with me on the plane to New York? I have a _really nice _apartment...and a big bed."

Sebastian felt his heart skip a beat. "Not too complicated?" he asked.

Kurt kissed him again. "Not anymore."

"Excuse me, Mr Hummel? The flight crew is asking if take-off should be delayed," the flight attendant asked carefully, looking nervous to disturb them.

Kurt offered Sebastian a questioning look.

Sebastian smiled. "Ready for take-off."

As he joined the attendant to take down his passenger information, he typed a quick text to Oliver. **Don't wait for me...we're flying to NYC ;)**

In the van, Oliver read the text out loud to their friends. They all cheered and shouted, the van rocking a little as they all danced around.

"That's my boy," Alex said proudly.

"Oh my god, you guys, if he can take Kurt to my opening as a date the place is gonna blow up!" Alice said excitedly.

"I hope he won't mess it up again," Elliott said. "No one gets _that_ many chances."

"I don't think he will," Adrian said, glancing at Oliver. "I think he knows how lucky he is this time."

* * *

"And the rest, as they say, is history," Sebastian finishes.

"Amazing," the interviewer replies. "A true modern fairy tale. Someone should turn it into a movie!"

"Are you interested in buying the rights?" Kurt jokes, squeezing Sebastian's hand.

"If only I could afford it!" the interviewer replies. "So, Sebastian, you moved in with Kurt in New York?"

"I did, yeah. It was hard giving up my single room for a penthouse but you know, we all make sacrifices…"

"The sacrifice I make every day is bearing with his jokes," Kurt adds drily.

"What about your sheet music store?"

Sebastian smiles. "Steph runs it now, and very well, I might add. She even added a small bistro corner and serves coffees there too. I am told the resident Kurt Hummel fan club meets up there every week."

"It's like, _one_ person," Kurt says humbly, but Sebastian shakes his head. "_So_ many," he whispers.

"Well, I'm sure _everyone_ wants the sheet music of your album _My Business_, Kurt. I heard it went platinum this week! So, you have a best selling album, you're showbizz' newest power couple - what is next for you guys?"

"Well, there's one thing-" Kurt starts, and he looks at Sebastian questioningly. Sebastian nods.

The interviewer gasps. "Do I hear wedding bells ring?" She curiously eyes their fingers.

Sebastian chuckles. "Ah, no...not yet. But uh, I am going to be an uncle!"

"_We_ are," Kurt corrects him. "Alice offered to be a surrogate for our friends Oliver and Adrian."

"She's seven months along," Sebastian adds enthusiastically and mimes a large belly around himself and blows up his cheeks.

"She looks _great_," Kurt says sternly. "But it means we'll be taking a step back from public life for a while.. Less touring, more...family." He glances at Sebastian and smiles. "Maybe my next album will be nursery songs."

"Or something with bells," Sebastian adds, and winks at him.

"Who knows," Kurt replies.

* * *

**Authors' Note:** This is it! We've reached the end of this little movie AU. Some of our readers have asked if there'll be more to come - to them we'd like to say: we'll keep on writing KB for as long as there are people who want to read it! So let us know in the comments or on tumblr so we know you're out there :)


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